Japan stay top; Qatar achieve best ever position

Thu, 04 Apr, 2024

Japan stay top; Qatar achieve best ever position

Kuala Lumpur: Japan stayed unchanged at 18th to remain Asia's top side in the latest FIFA Men's World Ranking released on Thursday.

Qatar climbed three spots to 34th - their highest-ever position in the ranking – with the top 10 staying unchanged, while Indonesia were the biggest movers after climbing eight spots to sit at 134th.

#AFCU23: 2020 revisited

Thu, 11 Dec, 2025

#AFCU23: 2020 revisited

Kuala Lumpur: With the AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ kicking off in a matter of weeks, we continue our look back at the previous editions of the tournament.

The focus on the latest installment of the series is the 2020 edition, which also offered three spots to the Tokyo Olympics. 

#AFCU23: 2018 revisited

Fri, 05 Dec, 2025

#AFCU23: 2018 revisited

Kuala Lumpur: As we edge closer to the AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™, we continue our flashback of a tournament that has never failed to thrill. 

Having taken a look at the 2013 and 2016 editions, we shift out focus to the 2018 edition that was played under challenging conditions in China PR.

#AFCU23: 2016 revisited

Fri, 05 Dec, 2025

#AFCU23: 2016 revisited

Kuala Lumpur: As the countdown to the AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ gathers pace, we continue our trip down memory lane of a tournament that has witnessed the rise of many of the continent's standout players.

Having looked at the 2013 edition won by Iraq, we shift our attention to the 2016 tournament which was hosted by Qatar.  

#AFCU23: 2013 revisited

Mon, 08 Dec, 2025

#AFCU23: 2013 revisited

Kuala Lumpur: The seventh edition of the AFC U23 Asian Cup™ is set to kick off in Saudi Arabia on January 6 as 16 teams converge on the cities of Jeddah and Riyadh with some of the hottest prospects in Asian football set to be on show.

Stars such as Takumi Minamino, Alireza Beiranvand, Hwang Hee-chan, Chanathip Songkrasin and Almoez Ali are among the big names to have featured in a competition that has delivered numerous magical moments over the years. 

To whet the appetite ahead of one of the Asian Football Confederation’s showpiece tournaments, we look back at the previous editions of the AFC U23 Asian Cup - starting with 2013.