AFC News

AFC Grassroots Day 2026 unites Asia’s football communities – Part 1

Fri, 17 Jul, 2026

AFC Grassroots Day 2026 unites Asia’s football communities – Part 1

Kuala Lumpur: The 13th Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Grassroots Day brought communities together across the Continent as 45 Member Associations (MAs) celebrated the beautiful game and engaged thousands of participants in a showcase of football's power to inspire, connect and include.

Held annually on May 23, this year's events once again coincided with FIFA's World Football Week, reinforcing the AFC's support for the United Nations' Football for the Goals initiative and its shared commitment to advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through football.
 
Join us at the-AFC.com for the first in a series that highlights how MAs embraced the AFC Grassroots Day 2026 with creativity and enthusiasm.

Spotlight on heart health at #WAC2026

Thu, 16 Jul, 2026

Spotlight on heart health at #WAC2026

Perth, Gold Coast, Sydney: Away from the thrilling action at the recent AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™, the AFC Dream Asia Foundation teamed up with Football Australia and the Heartbeat of Football Foundation to deliver a strong awareness campaign off the pitch.

The arrival of the 21st edition of Asia’s premier women’s showpiece presented the perfect opportunity for the Play With Heart initiative to take place across Perth, Gold Coast and Sydney from March 1 to 21, 2026.

AFC Elite Youth Scheme adds Chinese Football Association to three-star membership

Thu, 09 Jul, 2026

AFC Elite Youth Scheme adds Chinese Football Association to three-star membership

Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has welcomed the Chinese Football Association (CFA) as the latest three-star member of its acclaimed AFC Elite Youth Scheme.

Endorsed at two-star status in October 2024, the CFA received the upgrade to the highest category following a comprehensive evaluation last month, which also awarded three-star membership to the Shandong Luneng Taishan Football School, Shanghai Shenhua FC Academy and Zhejiang FC Academy – making them the first club academies in China PR to reach this tier.

Largest-ever cast for #U17WAC Qualifiers Draw

Mon, 13 Jul, 2026

Largest-ever cast for #U17WAC Qualifiers Draw

Kuala Lumpur: The AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup™ will witness the highest ever number of participating teams in its Qualifiers as it looks towards the 2027 edition.

A total of 30 teams—two more than the previous record of 28 from the 2019 Qualifiers—will enter the draw, which takes place on July 16 (Thursday) at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

AFC President extends deepest condolences on passing of former Qatar Emir HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani

Sun, 12 Jul, 2026

AFC President extends deepest condolences on passing of former Qatar Emir HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani

Kuala Lumpur: Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has expressed his profound sorrow and deepest condolences to the Qatar royal family, the Qatar Football Association, and the people of Qatar following the demise of the former Emir, His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who passed away at the age of 74.

The AFC President paid rich tribute to the monumental legacy of Sheikh Hamad, hailing him as a visionary leader and the true architect of modern Qatar, whose immense love for football and sport transformed the sporting landscape of Qatar and Asia.

AFC announces US media rights partnership with CBS Sports

Thu, 09 Jul, 2026

AFC announces US media rights partnership with CBS Sports

Every match of the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ and AFC U23 Asian Cup 2028™ to stream live on Paramount+

Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) today announced a media rights partnership with CBS Sports in the United States of America and its territories (including Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico), giving fans across the country access to live English-language coverage of the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ and the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2028™, with every match streaming live on Paramount+.

Volunteer registration opens for AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™

Tue, 07 Jul, 2026

Volunteer registration opens for AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™

Riyadh: The opportunity to experience the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ as a volunteer has arrived today with the start of the registration process.

With six months to go before the grandest-ever edition of the Continental showpiece kicks off on January 7, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) has opened sign-ups for the tournament’s volunteer programme, which is open to all.

20th AFC Knowledge Sharing Programme gets underway

Mon, 06 Jul, 2026

20th AFC Knowledge Sharing Programme gets underway

Kuala Lumpur: The 20th iteration of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)’s landmark Knowledge Sharing Programme began on Monday.

The latest edition of the programme will feature one participant representing the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) from July 6 to 24, during which period, he will receive hands-on training from industry experts.

HKFA receives AFC Elite Youth Scheme One-Star renewal

Wed, 01 Jul, 2026

HKFA receives AFC Elite Youth Scheme One-Star renewal

Kuala Lumpur: The Football Association of Hong Kong, China Limited (HKFA)'s One-Star membership under the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)’s Elite Youth Scheme was renewed in recognition of its continued commitment to enhancing its elite youth development programme.

The renewal was also extended to Hong Kong Football Club Academy and Lee Man Football Club Academy, in acknowledgment of the continued progress both institutions have made in nurturing young talent and strengthening the player pathway in Hong Kong, China.

Record cast in hat for #AWCL Preliminary Stage draw

Tue, 30 Jun, 2026

Record cast in hat for #AWCL Preliminary Stage draw

Kuala Lumpur: Ahead of its third season, the AFC Women’s Champions League™ will welcome its largest-ever number of participants as the 2026/27 campaign prepares to kick off with the Preliminary Stage draw.

Reinforcing the encouraging growth of women’s football across the Continent, a total of 30 clubs—five more than the preceding edition—from 29 different Member Associations (MAs) have registered entries.

AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia™ Technical Report available now

Tue, 09 Jun, 2026

AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia™ Technical Report available now

Kuala Lumpur: The technical report for the AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ is now available on the-AFC.com, capturing the key highlights from the seventh and final non-Olympic edition of the competition.

Taking place across the host cities of Riyadh and Jeddah, the 2026 iteration saw Japan clinch their third title after beating China PR in the Final.

AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026™ Technical Report available now

Tue, 30 Jun, 2026

AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026™ Technical Report available now

Kuala Lumpur: The AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026™ Technical Report is now available on the-AFC.com, recapitulating all the exciting action from the 18th edition of the competition hosted in Jakarta.

Taking place from January 27 to February 7, 2026, the competition saw the Islamic Republic of Iran claim a record-extending 14th crown after defeating Indonesia on penalties in the Final, with the hosts recording their best-ever finish.