AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup
Entering its 12th edition, the tournament has a stellar history of showcasing future stars tracing all the way back to the inaugural 2002 Finals, from the likes of Han Duan, Ma Xiaoxu, Mana Iwabuchi, Ji So-yun to Wang Shuang, Mary Fowler and Manaka Matsukubo.
Bangkok will play host to an expanded cast of 12—four more than the previous edition—as Thailand stages the competition for a second time, joined by 11 teams that progressed from the Qualifiers last August.
The quartet of China PR, DPR Korea, Japan and Korea Republic will extend their streak of appearing at every edition, while debutants Bangladesh will become the 20th different team to feature at the Finals.
Alongside the hunt for ultimate glory, the contenders at Thailand 2026 can also secure a berth at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Poland 2026 by achieving a top-four finish.
Designated as one of the three host venues, the Nonthaburi Stadium stages the first Group A match at 4pm between 2006 champions China PR, who have six previous World Cup appearances, including two runner-up finishes, and Vietnam, involved in their seventh Finals and fourth in a row, and aiming to go beyond the Quarter-finals for the first time. This is their third meeting, with China PR winning both prior encounters in 2011 (2-1) and 2024 (6-1).
The other pair in the group go head-to-head at 8pm at Thammasat Stadium, where Thailand eye a winning start at home to newcomers Bangladesh. The Southeast Asians’ eighth Finals showing ends an absence since the 2019 edition and they will target a second top-four finish after 2004, which also qualified them for their sole World Cup then.
On April 2 (Thursday), Group B kicks off with a 4pm clash at the Nonthaburi Stadium between two-time winners Korea Republic (2004, 2013) and Uzbekistan, who are contesting their sixth Finals. The East Asians, who placed fourth in 2024, have seven World Cup qualifications and a best of third place (2010), while their opponents will hope to advance past the Group Stage for the first time. The sole previous tournament meeting took place in 2024, where Korea Republic ran out 13-0 victors.
Defending champions DPR Korea, the only side to have never placed outside the top four, start their quest for a third crown at 8pm at the Pathum Thani Stadium against Jordan, who make a long-awaited return to their second Finals following their debut in 2006. The West Asians can expect a stiff challenge against the holders, who are also the reigning world champions and are seeking a ninth World Cup qualification.
Australia, who have finished third twice (2006, 2024), open their 10th Finals involvement with a Group C fixture on April 2 against Chinese Taipei, the 2002 runners-up who are marking their sixth Finals showing. The pair, with five and one World Cup qualifications respectively, will battle at 4pm at the Pathum Thani Stadium; the Australians hold a superior head-to-head record, having won both previous encounters in 2009 and 2024.
Record six-time champions Japan are on a quest to reclaim the trophy and that begins at the Thammasat Stadium against India at 8pm, with the 2004 quarter-finalists involved in their fourth Finals showing—and first since 2006. The East Asians, who have qualified for eight World Cups and won the global crown in 2018, have a perfect record against India with wins in 2002 and 2006.
All times indicated are in GMT+7.
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