NEW DELHI: India will be one of seven host nations for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers, set to take place from November 22 to 30. All matches in India will be held at The Arena in Ahmedabad. The official draw for the qualifiers is scheduled for August 7.
A total of 38 teams will compete in the qualifiers, divided into seven groups—three groups of six teams and four groups of five. The winners of each group will qualify for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026. They will join nine AFC teams that have already earned direct qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025.
AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey expressed pride over India’s role as a host, stating,
“It is a matter of great pride for India to be among the hosts of the AFC U-17 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers, and I’m especially pleased to see Ahmedabad take centre stage. I sincerely hope India qualifies for the main tournament, which serves as a gateway to the FIFA U-17 World Cup, and continues its journey on the long-term development path of Indian football.”
Gujarat Sports Minister Harsh Sanghavi added,
“This is a great opportunity for Gujarat to showcase its love for football, world-class hospitality, and growing sports culture. Hosting such a prestigious event will firmly place Ahmedabad on the Asian football map.”
The 38 participating teams have been seeded into six pots based on their performance in the last three editions (2025, 2023, and 2018). India is placed in Pot 2 and will also be included in a separate Hosts Pot for the draw, to ensure that all host countries are drawn into different groups.
Seeded Pots for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers Draw:
- Pot 1: Australia, Yemen, IR Iran, Oman, Thailand
- Pot 2: Afghanistan, Malaysia, Iraq, Bangladesh, Laos, India, 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
Host nations will be kept in separate groups to ensure each gets home advantage during the qualifiers.
