AFC PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

AFC News

AFC Future Football Forum charts roadmap to elevate Asian football

Wed, 04 Nov, 2026

AFC Future Football Forum charts roadmap to elevate Asian football

Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) conducted the AFC Future Football Forum on Tuesday to explore ways to help Asian teams achieve success on the world’s biggest stages.

Featuring a star-studded line-up including Iraq head coach Graham Arnold, Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu and three-time UEFA Champions League winner Fernando Hierro, the forum reviewed the performances of Asian teams while also identifying global trends and common challenges in the context of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

AFC Legal Workshop 2026 strengthens commitment to good governance

Wed, 04 Nov, 2026

AFC Legal Workshop 2026 strengthens commitment to good governance

Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) once again underlined its steadfast commitment to safeguarding good governance in Asian football with the successful completion of the AFC Legal Workshop 2026 on Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Conducted from November 3 to 4 at the AFC House, the workshop brought together key representatives from the various judicial bodies of the Confederation and the AFC Legal Committee, alongside invited speakers from UEFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), as well as experts from the wider sports law community.

Important update on AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™

Tue, 03 Nov, 2026

Important update on AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™

Kuala Lumpur: Following extensive discussions and close consultation with the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF), the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has confirmed today that the upcoming edition of Asia’s crown jewel, originally to be held from January 7 to February 5, 2027, will now take place from December 23, 2027, to January 21, 2028.

The Organising Committee for AFC Asian Cup approved to reschedule the flagship national team tournament in light of the current exceptional circumstances arising from developments in the region, including substantial logistical complexities and travel disruptions. The new dates of the tournament will be presented to FIFA for approval.

Road to Uzbekistan 2027 begins for #AFCU17 hopefuls

Fri, 18 Sep, 2026

Road to Uzbekistan 2027 begins for #AFCU17 hopefuls

Kuala Lumpur: The mission to reach the AFC U17 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2027™ gets underway on November 8 (Sunday) for the 35 teams in the 22nd edition of the Qualifiers.

The cast has been split evenly into seven groups to contest a single round-robin centralised league format until November 20, with only the winners advancing to the 22nd edition of the Finals in May 2027.

Modern coach education in focus at AFC Futsal Coaching Tutors Seminar

Fri, 30 Oct, 2026

Modern coach education in focus at AFC Futsal Coaching Tutors Seminar

Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Futsal Coaching Tutors Seminar 2026 concluded on Friday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, reinforcing the Confederation’s commitment to strengthening futsal coach education across the Continent.

Taking place from October 26 to 30, the seminar aimed to familiarise tutors from the AFC’s Member Associations (MAs) with the renewed syllabus and teaching methodology of the AFC Futsal Coaching Certificate Course – Level 2, while preparing them to take greater ownership of their respective coach development systems.

AFC launches Youth Academy Network to strengthen elite player development

Wed, 28 Oct, 2026

AFC launches Youth Academy Network to strengthen elite player development

Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) launched the AFC Youth Academy Network on Tuesday, marking yet another milestone in its efforts to ensure the success of Asian teams on the global stage.

Launched virtually and chaired by AFC Technical Director Andy Roxburgh, the initiative aims to enhance communication between the Confederation and the elite youth academies across its Member Associations (MAs) to foster greater cooperation and knowledge exchange.

AFC reaffirms integrity of Extraordinary Congress Tokyo 2026

Tue, 27 Oct, 2026

AFC reaffirms integrity of Extraordinary Congress Tokyo 2026

Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) firmly rejects the allegations made by the President of the Jordan Football Association in statements published on his X account concerning the conduct of the AFC Extraordinary Congress Tokyo 2026 and the democratic processes of its Member Associations.

The Congress was conducted in full compliance with the AFC’s applicable rules and regulations. The Standing Orders establish clear procedures for Member Associations to participate in proceedings, and these procedures were upheld throughout the Congress.

Quest for #AWCL glory to spark with Group Stage showdowns

Thu, 17 Sep, 2026

Quest for #AWCL glory to spark with Group Stage showdowns

Kuala Lumpur: The hunt for ultimate success in the AFC Women’s Champions League (AWCL) 2026/27™ begins on November 1 (Sunday) when the Group Stage comes to life with the opening matchday.

A cast of 12 contenders will be on show at the third edition of the Continent’s premier women’s club competition and has been split into three groups of four clubs each to contest a single round-robin centralised league that runs until November 7.

Match schedule finalised for #AsianCup2027

Mon, 26 Oct, 2026

Match schedule finalised for #AsianCup2027

Kuala Lumpur: The kick-off times and venues for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ have been confirmed as the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Local Organising Committee (LOC) today revealed the finalised match schedule.

Staged in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the very first time, the quest for ultimate glory at the 19th edition of Asia’s crown jewel ignites on January 7 (Thursday) in the capital city of Riyadh at the 72,000-seater King Fahd Sports City Stadium when Saudi Arabia take on Palestine at 8pm in what promises to be a thrilling opening match.

AFC Futsal Referee Academy Batch 1 concludes third intermediate module

Mon, 26 Oct, 2026

AFC Futsal Referee Academy Batch 1 concludes third intermediate module

Kuala Lumpur: The third on-site intermediate module for Batch 1 of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Futsal Referee Academy concluded on Friday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, reaffirming the Confederation’s commitment to establishing the highest officiating standards across the Continent.

Spanning five days, the programme aimed to enhance officiating standards across Asia’s rapidly evolving futsal landscape, in line with global best practices.

Uzbekistan’s AFC Elite Youth Scheme three-star membership renewed

Fri, 23 Oct, 2026

Uzbekistan’s AFC Elite Youth Scheme three-star membership renewed

Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has renewed the Uzbekistan Football Association (UFA)’s three-star membership under the AFC Elite Youth Scheme, in recognition of its commitment to enhancing its elite youth football landscape.

Alongside the UFA’s three-star renewal, the Republican National Football Academy in Tashkent was also awarded the same honour, while the Samarkand Regional Football Academy and the Bukhara Regional Football Academy received two-star endorsements.

AFC Extraordinary Congress 2026 approves key statutory amendments

Fri, 23 Oct, 2026

AFC Extraordinary Congress 2026 approves key statutory amendments

Tokyo: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Extraordinary Congress 2026 has approved a series of important amendments to the AFC Statutes today in Tokyo, Japan.

In reaction to the exceptional circumstances created by FIFA’s upcoming changes to its international calendar and following consultation with football’s world governing body, the amendments include transitional governance provisions aimed at ensuring the continuing alignment of the AFC’s electoral and competitions cycle.