AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup
The 10th edition of the tournament features an expanded roster of 12 teams—four more than each of the preceding four editions—and will be staged in the elegant city of Suzhou, as China PR plays host for a fourth time after 2011, 2013 and 2015.
The top four sides from the 2024 edition, namely DPR Korea, Japan, Korea Republic and China PR, are joined by eight others that progressed from the Qualifiers last October.
From names like Ji So-yun, Mana Iwabuchi, Caitlin Foord, Emily van Egmond and Hana Takahashi to Maika Hamano, Choe Il Son, Casey Phair and Ariana Markey, the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup™ has a rich tradition of bringing through future world-beaters and fans can look forward to discovering new gems again.
The contenders at China 2026 will also have one eye on qualifying for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2026, with berths on offer to each of the top four finishers.
The quartet of China PR, Japan, Korea Republic and Thailand maintain their proud record of appearing at every edition to date, while Lebanon are the sole debutants among the cast.
May 1
A showdown between two Southeast Asian powerhouses kicks off the tournament at 3.30pm, where Group A’s Thailand and Vietnam meet at the Suzhou Taihu Football Sports Centre Pitch 1. The Thais’ best finish was third in 2005 while Vietnam are making their second appearance after debuting in 2019, where they were eliminated at the Group Stage.
At 7.30pm, China PR’s quest to better their 2005 runners-up finish and become the first host to lift the trophy begins at the Suzhou Sports Centre Stadium. Fourth in 2024, the home side are also looking to add to their four World Cup qualifications as they take on Myanmar in their Group A opener, with the latter returning for the first time since their 2009 debut.
May 2
Japan’s hunt for a record fifth crown starts at the Suzhou Taihu Football Sports Centre Pitch 4 with a 3.30pm Group B clash against Lebanon. Winners in 2005, 2011, 2013 and 2019, the Japanese were beaten finalists at the last edition and will aim to reclaim the title; champions at the 2014 World Cup, they are one of only two teams to appear at every global showpiece and will target a 10th qualification. Meanwhile, their opponents succeeded in their third qualifying campaign to become the 22nd debutant side in tournament history.
The second match in Group B is scheduled to take place at 7.30pm at the Suzhou Taihu Football Sports Centre Pitch 8 between Australia, making their eighth appearance and fourth in a row, and India, who will end a 21-year absence since their maiden appearance in 2005. Fourth-place finishers twice in 2009 and 2019, Australia has yet to reach a World Cup, while India made their bow in 2022 as hosts.
Also at the Suzhou Taihu Football Sports Centre Pitch 8, Group C gets underway at 3.30pm as 2009 champions Korea Republic, who finished third in 2024, face the Philippines, who return for a second involvement after their debut in the previous edition. The East Asians are eyeing a sixth qualification for the World Cup, which they lifted in 2010.
Reigning champions DPR Korea embark on their title defence at the Suzhou Taihu Football Sports Centre Pitch 4 with a 7.30pm fixture in Group C against Chinese Taipei. DPR Korea swept to a joint-record fourth triumph in 2024 by winning all five matches without conceding a single goal, before going on to win back-to-back World Cup titles; another successful qualification will bring them to a ninth appearance, where a record-extending fifth crown is on the line. For Chinese Taipei, they return to the Asian stage at this level for a fifth occasion—and first since 2015—with the aim of advancing from the Group Stage for the first time.
All times indicated are in GMT+8.
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