The 2026 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers will feature 44 teams, divided into 11 groups (4 teams each) competing in a round-robin format at a central location, taking place from September 1 to 9.
After the qualifying round, the 11 group winners and the four best runners-up will qualify for next year's finals with host Saudi Arabia.
Accordingly, 15 teams passed the qualifying round, including: U23 Jordan (Group A), U23 Japan (Group B), U23 Vietnam (Group C), U23 Australia China (Group D), Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan (Group E), Thailand, Lebanon (Group F), Iraq (Group G), Qatar (Group H), South Korea (Group J), Iran, UAE (Group I), Syria (Group K).
Among the teams participating in the finals are Kyrgyzstan and Lebanon, both making their debut appearances.
In Southeast Asia, U23 Vietnam and U23 Thailand both qualified with the top spot in their groups.
In Group C, U23 Vietnam started with a 2-0 victory over U23 Bangladesh, then beat U23 Singapore 1-0, before defeating U23 Yemen also with a minimal score.
U23 Vietnam not only won a ticket to the 2026 AFC U23 Championship but also extended its record of 6 consecutive appearances at the continental finals after 2024, 2022, 2020, 2018 and 2016.
In group F, U23 Thailand and U23 Lebanon have 7 points after 3 matches, but the "golden temple country" team is on top thanks to a better goal difference.
The 2026 AFC U23 Championship will take place in January next year. The 16 participating teams will be divided into 4 groups, playing a round-robin to determine the top 2 teams in each group to enter the quarter-finals.
It is expected that in October 2025, the Asian Football Confederation will conduct the draw and divide the groups at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/xac-dinh-16-doi-du-vck-u23-chau-a-2026-dong-nam-a-co-viet-nam-va-thai-lan-167201.html
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