Japan stay top, Bangladesh surge

Thu, 07 Aug, 2025

Japan stay top, Bangladesh surge

Kuala Lumpur: Japan, despite dropping one spot to eighth, remained as Asia’s highest ranked side in the latest FIFA Women’s World Ranking released on Thursday.

Bangladesh (104th) recorded the biggest jump, moving up 24 steps following their stunning run of results with victories over Myanmar, Bahrain and Turkmenistan in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia™ 2026 Qualifiers.

Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers Draw finalised

Thu, 07 Aug, 2025

Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers Draw finalised

Kuala Lumpur: The 38 teams hoping to see action at the AFC U17 Asian Cup™ Saudi Arabia 2026 learnt their respective qualifying routes on Thursday.

The Official Draw at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia saw the teams divided into seven groups — three of six teams each and four of five.

All group winners will progress to the 21st edition of the Finals, where they will join the nine AFC representatives from the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 who have automatically qualified, namely Qatar, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Korea Republic, DPR Korea, Japan, Tajikistan, United Arab Emirates and Indonesia.

The Qualifiers will be contested in a single round-robin centralised league format from November 22 to 30, 2025.

Hopefuls learn Road to China 2026 pathways

Thu, 07 Aug, 2025

Hopefuls learn Road to China 2026 pathways

Kuala Lumpur: The 27 teams vying for places in the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup™ China 2026 discovered their challengers following the Qualifiers Draw at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Thursday.

The sides were divided into eight groups - three of four teams each and five of three — to contest a single round-robin centralised league format from October 13 to 17, 2025.
 
The eight group winners will progress to the 10th edition of the Finals, where they will be joined by the four AFC representatives from the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2025 who have automatically qualified, namely DPR Korea, Japan, Korea Republic and China PR, to form a 12-strong line-up — four more than the previous edition.

#ChallengeLeague preliminary showdowns ready for kick-off

Thu, 07 Aug, 2025

#ChallengeLeague preliminary showdowns ready for kick-off

Kuala Lumpur: The quest to reach the AFC Challenge League™ (ACGL) 2025/26 Group Stage begins on August 12 (Tuesday) with the Preliminary Stage, which consists of nine single-leg ties.

Reaffirming the tournament’s aim to spotlight the Continent’s emerging teams and talents, the 18-strong cast—10 from the West and eight from the East—is an increase from last season, where four sides were involved at the same stage.

'Global icon' Son joins LAFC

Thu, 07 Aug, 2025

'Global icon' Son joins LAFC

Los Angeles: LAFC hailed the signing of a "global icon" on Wednesday after confirming the arrival of Korea Republic star Son Heung-min from Tottenham.

The 33-year-old will reportedly cost a Major League Soccer record US$26 million transfer fee, according to media reports, after a decade in the Premier League where he became a household name.

#U20WAC Qualifiers: MD1 Results & Reports

Thu, 07 Aug, 2025

#U20WAC Qualifiers: MD1 Results & Reports

Kuala Lumpur: Four former champions led the way as the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup™ Thailand 2026 Qualifiers got off to an emphatic start on Wednesday.

Six-time winners Japan kicked off their Group F campaign with a 5-0 win over Guam while defending champions DPR Korea were unstoppable in a 15-0 triumph against Saudi Arabia in Group A.
 
Korea Republic, champions in 2003 and 2013, defeated Timor-Leste 9-0 while China PR, who lifted the trophy in 2006, opened their Group E challenge with a 6-0 win against Syria.
 
The teams will be back in action on Friday with the eight group winners and the overall three best runners-up to join hosts Thailand at next year's Finals.
 
Stay updated on all the thrills and spills with the-AFC.com.