The AFC U-20 Championship will be held in China in 2027, and the top four teams will advance to the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup.      Qualifying Round: This AFC U-20 Championship qualifying round is divided into eight groups. The top team from each group, along with the seven best-performing second-place teams, will advance to the final tournament. Development Stage: The 12 participating teams are divided into three groups of four teams each. The top two teams from each group will advance to the next stage of the qualifying round.      As the host nation, China’s U-20 team will directly advance to the group stage; the qualifying round will determine the remaining 15 teams.      Group Stage Qualification Rules: Each group will feature a single round-robin format, where winners earn 3 points, drawees earn 1 point, and losers earn 0 points. The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals. Elimination Round Rules: The teams that advance to the quarterfinals will compete in a crossover knockout format, and the top four teams will secure their spots in the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Qualifying Round and Group Stage: Teams will be ranked based on points; in the event of a tie in points, the following criteria will be used to determine ranking: a. Points earned from head-to-head matches between the teams; b. Goal difference in head-to-head matches; c. Total goals scored in head-to-head matches; d. Goal difference in the group stage; e. Goals scored in the group stage; f. If only two teams are identical and they face off in the final round of the group stage, a penalty shootout will be held; g. Fair play points; h. Draw Nepal U-20 and the Philippines U-20 have withdrawn from the 2026–2027 AFC U-20 Championship.