Informação
The 7th AFC U23 Asian Cup final tournament will be held in Saudi Arabia in 2026.
The qualification stage will start in September 2025, with 45 teams divided into 11 groups playing a single round-robin format. The group winners and the four best second-placed teams will qualify.
The final tournament will feature 16 teams divided into 4 groups, playing a single round-robin format. The top two teams from each group will advance. The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final will be played as single-leg matches. If a match is tied after 90 minutes, extra time will be played, and if still tied, a penalty shoot-out will decide the winner. The top three teams will qualify for the Olympic Games, while the fourth-placed team will play off against the fourth-placed team from the African qualifiers for one Olympic berth.
Qualification Stage Ranking Rules：
A win earns 3 points, a draw 1 point, and a loss 0 points.
Teams are ranked by total points after the group stage.
The group winners and the four best second-placed teams qualify for the final tournament.
If two or more teams are level on points, rankings are decided as follows:
a. Points in matches between the tied teams;
b. Goal difference in matches between the tied teams;
c. Goals scored in matches between the tied teams;
d. If still tied, criteria a–c are reapplied; if unresolved, criteria e–i apply;
e. Overall goal difference in the group;
f. Overall goals scored in the group;
g. If only two teams are tied and they meet in the final group match, a penalty shoot-out is held;
h. Fair play points (lower is better): yellow card 1 point, two yellows = red 3 points, direct red 3 points, yellow + red 4 points;
i. Drawing of lots.
Final Tournament Group & Knockout Rules：
Each group has four teams playing a single round-robin format. Teams earn 3 points for a win, 1 for a draw, and 0 for a loss. The top two teams advance. If teams are tied on points, the ranking criteria are the same as above.
Quarter-final pairings: A1 vs B2, C1 vs D2, B1 vs A2, D1 vs C2. The winners of the first two matches and the winners of the last two matches advance to the semi-finals. The semi-final winners contest the final, and the losers play for third place.
