Media Releases - Latest News

Expanded AFC Child Safeguarding and Protection Policy to provide more comprehensive guidance

Mon, 24 Aug, 2026

Expanded AFC Child Safeguarding and Protection Policy to provide more comprehensive guidance

Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) today underlined its unwavering commitment to protecting the rights, safety and well-being of children and young people engaging in football across the Continent by launching the latest edition of the AFC Child Safeguarding and Protection Policy.

Building on the landmark Child Safeguarding Policy that was introduced in 2022, the 2026 edition has been expanded to encompass all AFC competitions, events and digital platforms. This recognises football’s evolving environments while ensuring that comprehensive and responsive safeguarding measures are in place for any child or youth within the AFC’s Member Associations (MAs) and Regional Associations (RAs), as well as the larger Asian football community.

#AFCU20 China 2027 Qualifiers to kick off with new format

Tue, 04 Aug, 2026

#AFCU20 China 2027 Qualifiers to kick off with new format

Kuala Lumpur: The journey towards the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027™ begins on August 31 (Monday), 2026 with the first round of matches in the centralised Qualifiers.

Taking place for a 23rd time since being introduced in 1980, this iteration of the qualification pathway offers 15 berths at next year’s Finals and sees the maiden implementation of a two-tiered format.

#AFCU17 hopefuls set for Qualifiers Draw

Tue, 11 Aug, 2026

#AFCU17 hopefuls set for Qualifiers Draw

Kuala Lumpur: The road to the AFC U17 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2027™ will begin with the Qualifiers Draw on August 27 (Thursday) at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Set to take place at 3pm, the ceremony will split the 35 participating teams into seven groups of five to contest a single round-robin centralised league for the qualifying rounds that run from November 8 to 20, 2026.

AFC Marketing Committee lauds global viewership and milestone commercial achievements

Thu, 20 Aug, 2026

AFC Marketing Committee lauds global viewership and milestone commercial achievements

Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Marketing Committee has lauded historic broadcast milestones, unprecedented commercial growth, and bold brand evolutions achieved across its flagship tournaments.

Leading the Committee's fourth meeting held virtually earlier today, Chairperson Dasho Ugen Tsechup commended the broadcast metrics underscoring the global appeal of Asian football, particularly with the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to 26™ recording a staggering cumulative reach of 4.1 billion, surging by 291% over the previous edition.

HOY renews partnership with AFC as Official Media Partner in Hong Kong, China

Wed, 01 Jul, 2026

HOY renews partnership with AFC as Official Media Partner in Hong Kong, China

HOY will continue delivering free-to-air coverage of Asia's flagship national team and club competitions to fans across Hong Kong, China

Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) today announced the renewal of its long-standing partnership with HOY media network (HOY), extending its role as the Official Media Partner of the AFC in Hong Kong, China.

#ChallengeLeague group battles to be revealed

Thu, 13 Aug, 2026

#ChallengeLeague group battles to be revealed

Kuala Lumpur: The cast for the AFC Challenge League (ACGL) 2026/27™ is set to discover their fate at the Group Stage Draw on August 20 (Thursday) at 3pm at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Seven clubs advanced from the Preliminary Stage to join the eight sides that were granted direct entry to the Group Stage and the two eliminated teams from the AFC Champions League Two 2026/27™ Preliminary Stage (West). An additional three clubs will be confirmed following the completion of the remaining Preliminary Stage matches in the East.

Road to glory begins: #ACLTwo contenders to discover Group Stage fate

Tue, 21 Jul, 2026

Road to glory begins: #ACLTwo contenders to discover Group Stage fate

Kuala Lumpur: The cast for the AFC Champions League Two (ACL Two) 2026/27™ will learn their Group Stage opponents on August 18 (Tuesday) when the draw ceremony takes place at 2pm at the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

Featuring 32 clubs, the 22nd edition of Asia’s second-tier men’s competition will kick off its thrilling group battles—to be played in a home-and-away round-robin format—on September 15.

Expanded #ACLElite set for League Stage Draw

Tue, 21 Jul, 2026

Expanded #ACLElite set for League Stage Draw

Kuala Lumpur: The route to ultimate glory in the AFC Champions League Elite (ACL Elite) 2026/27™ will be charted at the League Stage Draw on August 18 (Tuesday), 4pm at the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

Taking place for the 24th time in the modern ACL era, this upcoming edition of Asia’s top-tier men’s club competition will feature an expanded cast of 32 sides for the first time since the revamp to its current name in 2024/25 as part of a series of strategic enhancements.

AFC Social Responsibility Toolkit 2026 reiterates commitment to positive change

Wed, 12 Aug, 2026

AFC Social Responsibility Toolkit 2026 reiterates commitment to positive change

Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Social Responsibility Toolkit 2026 is now available on the-AFC.com, once again reinforcing the Confederation's commitment to harnessing the power of football to deliver meaningful and lasting social impact across Asia.

Developed on the foundation of the AFC Social Responsibility Strategy 2023-27, the Toolkit serves as a guide for the AFC's Member Associations (MAs) and Regional Associations (RAs) to strengthen their capacity to deliver impactful programmes, regardless of their size or stature.

Roadmap finalised for #AsianCup2027 match officials

Tue, 11 Aug, 2026

Roadmap finalised for #AsianCup2027 match officials

Kuala Lumpur: The road towards the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ for the Continent’s elite match officials was charted today during the 4th AFC Referees Committee Meeting.

Led virtually by Chairperson Hany Taleb Al-Raeesi, the meeting locked in key preparation milestones to ensure the Continent's refereeing standards match the magnitude of the upcoming 19th edition.

Open Letter to the Football Family

Mon, 10 Aug, 2026

Open Letter to the Football Family

Kuala Lumpur: The Presidents and General Secretaries of the AFC, CONCACAF and UEFA have jointly issued an open letter to the football family.

The full text of the letter is available below and can also be accessed by clicking here. 

#AWCL hopefuls ready for Preliminary Stage

Tue, 28 Jul, 2026

#AWCL hopefuls ready for Preliminary Stage

Kuala Lumpur: The stakes will be high at the AFC Women’s Champions League (AWCL) 2026/27™ Preliminary Stage when the first matchday kicks off on August 17 (Monday), with six coveted berths at the Finals on offer.

A record 24 clubs from 24 Member Associations (MAs)—five more than the previous mark from 2025/26—are vying for progress to the Group Stage of Asia’s premier women’s club tournament, which enters its third edition following a groundbreaking launch in 2024.