AFC Grassroots Day 2026 unites Asia’s football communities

Kuala Lumpur: The 13th Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Grassroots Day brought communities together across the Continent as 45 Member Associations (MAs) celebrated the beautiful game and engaged thousands of participants in a showcase of football's power to inspire, connect and include.

Held annually on May 23, this year's events once again coincided with FIFA's World Football Week, reinforcing the AFC's support for the United Nations' Football for the Goals initiative and its shared commitment to advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through football.

Join us at the-AFC.com for the second part of a series (Part 1 can be found here) that highlights how MAs embraced the AFC Grassroots Day 2026 with creativity and enthusiasm.

Korea Republic

The Korea Football Association (KFA) commemorated the AFC Grassroots Day 2026 by holding the opening match of the 2026 i-League on May 16 at the Anyoung Football Stadium in Daejeon City.

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Comprising 24 teams, it attracted 700 entrants, including youth players and their families.

To further add to the excitement, four distinct zones – Experience, Football Skill, Photo and ECO were set up, allowing participants to acquire temporary tattoos, show off their speed at striking the ball, have photos taken and claim upcycled bottle cap keyrings.

Kyrgyz Republic

Hundreds of football-loving children joined the Kyrgyz Football Union (KFU) in a football festival, tournament and a series of activities for AFC Grassroots Day 2026.

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The festival in Bishkek saw 200 children engage in fun technical exercises, skill challenges, relay races and friendly matches aimed at creating a supportive atmosphere to learn, play and experience values such as teamwork and fair play.

The tournament for 12-year-old players in the capital on the same day drew more than 900 talented youngsters from various regions. The KFU also held grassroots programmes from May 20-23 across the regions of Batken, Chuy, Issyk-Kul, Jalal-Abad, Naryn, Osh and Talas.

Laos

The Lao Football Federation held football matches and a workshop to commemorate the AFC Grassroots Day 2026 at Oudomxay Province.

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The workshop, which involved 12 coaches and 20 parents, focused on training activities and child safeguarding, with an emphasis on ensuring that football remains a safe environment for all children.

A total of 200 children, both boys and girls, coaches and two football ambassadors later took part in games and basic training. The students, from four provincial primary and secondary schools, were able to enhance their abilities, develop essential life skills and forge new friendships in a fun, safe and non-competitive environment.

Macau

A grassroots festival proved to be the centrepiece of the Macau Football Association’s AFC Grassroots Day 2026 joint celebrations with the Sports Bureau of Macao at the Macau University Football Field.

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A total of 14 coaches and six staff, as well as members of the ‘D’ coaching license trainee coach and women's teams, oversaw more than 250 children of different age groups in a four-a-side competition.

As with previous years, mixed-gender matches were part of the agenda, with girls competing against boys. Teams also comprised both boys and girls of corresponding age groups to provide young footballers with more inclusive opportunities to experience the game.

Nepal

The All Nepal Football Association’s Kids in Conservation (KIC) programme combined football with environmental education to observe both the AFC Grassroots Day 2026 and World Environment Day in the buffer zones of the UNESCO-listed Chitwan National Park.

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Held in partnership with the Nawalpur and Chitwan District Football Associations, it brought together 400 boys and girls aged between six and 14 alongside 100 conservation personnel, 30 grassroots coaches and volunteers, parents, teachers, community leaders and local officials.

Participants enjoyed a blend of activities and educational sessions designed to develop their football skills while deepening their understanding of environmental responsibility. Set against the backdrop of one of Asia's most important protected habitats, the two-day initiative created a unique learning experience that connected sport with nature.

Northern Mariana Islands

A memorable week-long event combining football with health education and youth leadership defined the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association (NMIFA)’s celebrations and its highlight, the Play Smart, Live Strong tournament.

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The NMIFA incorporated activities promoting the UN Football for the Goals Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being through National Prevention Week workshops and activities focused on healthy lifestyles and substance use prevention. Participants joined special lessons and discussions, teamwork drills and the Play Smart, Live Strong Players’ Pledge led by 17 Youth Ambassadors.

Originally planned to be held outdoors, all activities and matches were successfully moved indoors to the Tam Siu Lin Sports Complex due to the destruction caused by super typhoon Sinlaku. The week concluded with the tournament finals and the distribution of footballs to each participant.

Pakistan

Young players, coaches, parents and the wider football community joined the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) to usher in AFC Grassroots Day 2026 at the Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad.

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The event showcased fun football activities, skill-based games and U14 matches involving eight boys' and girls' teams. Away from the pitch, participating coaches benefited from a dedicated Coach-the-Coach workshop while parents attended a safeguarding awareness session.

PFF President Syed Mohsen Gilani not only presented certificates to the participants, but stepped onto the pitch to join the young players and coaches during their activities.

Palestine

The Palestine Football Association, in collaboration with the Norwegian Football Federation, marked AFC Grassroots Day 2026 across Ramallah, Salfit and Hebron with more than 250 boys and girls aged between seven and 15.

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Their programme commenced with fun physical activities and exercises aimed at developing fundamental movement and technical skills before participants rotated through a series of interactive stations to encourage teamwork, creativity and confidence.

The children also participated in sessions aligned with the United Nations Football for the Goals initiative, which encouraged participants to reflect on the positive impact of football through creative drawing activities. The day closed with friendly matches, giving the youngsters the opportunity to apply their newfound skills.

Qatar

The Qatar Football Association (QFA) celebrated the AFC Grassroots Day 2026 on May 15 and 16 by hosting the Grassroots Football Closing Festival for the 2025/26 season and awarding trophies and medals to deserving participants.

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A total of 990 children of various ages converged on the Aspire Academy Stadium in Doha to take part in matches and technical activities, overseen by 18 referees and 63 support staff. Qatar Stars League players Yacine Brahimi and Ahmed Al-Rawi were also on hand to inspire the young players and present awards.

The presence of 50 girl players at the festival reflected the steady growth of the girls’ game in the county and the QFA’s continued commitment to promote inclusive football opportunities, while young referees, who form part of the Association’s development pathway, were entrusted with officiating matches to gain practical experience.

Photos courtesy of respective Member Associations

AFC Grassroots Day 2026 unites Asia’s football communities – Part 2