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Youth Development
The virtual event brought together technical specialists from across the AFC Member Associations to explore ways to strengthen youth football across Asia.
Taking place on the heels of the online session for the women’s game, the programme focused on the performances of Asia's youth teams in key FIFA competitions in 2025.
During AFC Technical Director Andy Roxburgh’s opening remarks, the 2025 editions of the AFC U17 and U20 Asian Cups were highlighted, where Uzbekistan and Australia claimed the respective titles.
The attention then shifted from the Continental stage to the global arena, highlighting the tangible results of sustainable investment in youth football, with Uzbekistan and Jordan serving as prime examples, both having achieved historic milestones by qualifying for the FIFA World Cup for the first time, underscoring the key role of long-term planning and structured youth development pathways.
Participants also had the opportunity to hear from FIFA Team Lead, Football Performance Analysis, Arron Ackerman, who shared key findings from the recently concluded FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 as well as the FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025.
Through a comparative review of the previous editions, Ackerman highlighted key trends observed during the competition, ranging from effective use of wing play and clever set-piece strategies to the growing prevalence of high pressing and effective counterattacking.
The highly informative presentation paved the way for the AFC’s perspective on the Qatar-based FIFA U17 World Cup to be presented. The AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026™ scheduled in Saudi Arabia from January 6 to 25, followed by the AFC U17 Asian Cup™ in May, were then promoted.
Throughout the session, the participants had the opportunity to exchange ideas and insights, further reinforcing the AFC’s ambitions to ensure the success of Asian teams on the world stage.
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