NEW DELHI: India will be one of the seven hosts of the AFC U17 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers, scheduled to be played from November 22 to 30, 2025. All matches in India will be held at The Arena in Ahmedabad. The official draw for the qualifiers is set to be held on August 7, 2025.
A total of 38 countries will compete in the qualifiers. These teams will be divided into seven groups, comprising three groups of six teams and four groups of five teams. The winners of each group will qualify for the AFC U17 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026. They will join nine other AFC teams that have already secured qualification to the FIFA U17 World Cup Qatar 2025.
All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Kalyan Chaubey said, “It is a matter of great pride for India to be among the hosts of the AFC U17 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers, and I am particularly pleased to see Ahmedabad take centre stage. This is an excellent opportunity for our boys to perform on home soil, and for the city of Ahmedabad to showcase its capability to host elite international competitions. I wish our boys the very best, and sincerely hope that they qualify for the AFC U17 Asian Cup, which serves as the gateway to the FIFA U17 World Cup, and take another important step forward in Indian football’s long-term development pathway.”
Gujarat Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Harsh Sanghavi also welcomed the development, calling it a proud moment for the state.
“This is a proud moment for Indian football and Gujarat. It’s an opportunity for the state to showcase its love for the beautiful game, its world-class hospitality, and our rising football culture. Hosting a prestigious event such as this will position Ahmedabad on the Asian football map,” Sanghavi said.
The 38 participating teams have been divided into six seeding pots based on their performances in the previous three editions of the tournament (2025, 2023 and 2018). India has been placed in Pot 2, and also in a separate Hosts Pot to ensure no two host nations are drawn into the same group.
Other host countries include China PR, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Kyrgyz Republic and Jordan. These teams will be placed in separate groups during the draw.
Pots for the AFC U17 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers Draw:
Pot 1: Australia, Yemen, Iran, Oman, Thailand.
Pot 2: Afghanistan, Malaysia, Iraq, Bangladesh, Laos, Kuwait.
Pot 3: Singapore, Bahrain, Philippines, Turkmenistan, Palestine.
Pot 4: Syria, Mongolia, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Brunei Darussalam.
Pot 5: Nepal, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Maldives, Timor-Leste, Lebanon.
Pot 6: Macau, Sri Lanka, Pakistan.
Hosts Pot: China PR, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Myanmar, Kyrgyz Republic, Jordan.
Qualifiers Dates: November 22-30, 2025.
Venue: The Arena, Ahmedabad. (ANI)
