2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification
Age restricted continental qualification competition
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The 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification was an international men's under-23 football competition which decided the participating teams of the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup.
Host countriesJordan (Group A)
Myanmar (Group B)
Vietnam (Group C)
China (Group D)
Kyrgyzstan (Group E)
Thailand (Group F)
Cambodia (Group G)
Qatar (Group H)
United Arab Emirates (Group I)
Indonesia (Group J)
Tajikistan (Group K)
Myanmar (Group B)
Vietnam (Group C)
China (Group D)
Kyrgyzstan (Group E)
Thailand (Group F)
Cambodia (Group G)
Qatar (Group H)
United Arab Emirates (Group I)
Indonesia (Group J)
Tajikistan (Group K)
Dates3–9 September 2025[1]
Teams44 (from 1 confederation)
Venues11 (in 11 host cities)
| تصفيات كأس آسيا 23 سنة 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Host countries | Jordan (Group A) Myanmar (Group B) Vietnam (Group C) China (Group D) Kyrgyzstan (Group E) Thailand (Group F) Cambodia (Group G) Qatar (Group H) United Arab Emirates (Group I) Indonesia (Group J) Tajikistan (Group K) |
| Dates | 3–9 September 2025[1] |
| Teams | 44 (from 1 confederation) |
| Venues | 11 (in 11 host cities) |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 66 |
| Goals scored | 271 (4.11 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |  Nathanael Blair Odeh Al-Fakhouri Kasra Taheri(5 goals) |
← 2024 2028 → | |
A total of 16 teams qualified to play in the final tournament, including Saudi Arabia who qualified automatically as host country.
Draw
Of the 47 AFC member associations, a total of 45 teams entered the competition.
A draw was held on 29 May 2025, at 15:00 (UTC+8) on the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[2]
The teams were seeded based on a points system derived from their final rankings across the previous three editions of the Finals (2020, 2022, and 2024). Teams that indicated their intention to serve as qualification group hosts before the draw were placed in separate groups. Saudi Arabia automatically qualified for the final tournament as hosts,[3][4] thus the remaining 44 teams entered the qualification.
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host pot |
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| Remaining Teams |
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| Did not enter |
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Eligibility
Players born on or after 1 January 2003 were eligible to participate, in accordance with the age criteria set by the Asian Football Confederation.
Format
The 44 teams were divided into eleven groups of four teams each. In each group, teams played each other once at a centralized venue. The eleven group winners and the four best runners-up qualified for the final tournament.[4]
In each group, teams played each other once at a centralized venue. The eleven group winners and the four best runners-up qualified for the final tournament.[5]
Tiebreakers
Teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss), and if tied on points, the following tiebreaking criteria were applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings:[5]
- Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
- Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
- Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
- If more than two teams were tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams were still tied, all head-to-head criteria above were reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
- Goal difference in all group matches;
- Goals scored in all group matches;
- Penalty shoot-out if only two teams were tied and they met in the last round of the group;
- Lower disciplinary points (yellow card = 1 point, red card as a result of two yellow cards = 3 points, direct red card = 3 points, yellow card followed by direct red card = 4 points);
- Drawing of lots.
Groups
All matches were played between 3 and 9 September 2025.
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jordan (H) |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 1 | +18 | 9 | Final tournament |
| 2 |  Turkmenistan |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 3 | +5 | 6 | |
| 3 |  Bhutan |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 14 | −11 | 3 | |
| 4 |  Chinese Taipei |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 14 | −12 | 0 |
| Turkmenistan | 5–1 | Chinese Taipei |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
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| Jordan | 11–0 | Bhutan |
|---|---|---|
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Report |
| Bhutan | 0–2 | Turkmenistan |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
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| Chinese Taipei | 0–6 | Jordan |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
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| Chinese Taipei | 1–3 | Bhutan |
|---|---|---|
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| Jordan | 2–1 | Turkmenistan |
|---|---|---|
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Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Japan |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | +9 | 9 | Final tournament |
| 2 |  Kuwait |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 4 | |
| 3 |  Afghanistan |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 3 | |
| 4 |  Myanmar (H) |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 1 |
| Afghanistan | 0–1 | Kuwait |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
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| Myanmar | 1–2 | Afghanistan |
|---|---|---|
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Report |
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Group C
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Vietnam (H) |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 9 | Final tournament |
| 2 |  Yemen |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 6 | |
| 3 |  Bangladesh |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 | |
| 4 |  Singapore |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | −5 | 0 |
| Vietnam | 2–0 | Bangladesh |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| Bangladesh | 0–1 | Yemen |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
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| Singapore | 0–1 | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
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Group D
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 0 | +20 | 7 | Final tournament |
| 2 |  China (H) |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | +11 | 7 | |
| 3 |  Timor-Leste |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 8 | −1 | 3 | |
| 4 |  Northern Mariana Islands |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 30 | −30 | 0 |
| China | 2–1 | Timor-Leste |
|---|---|---|
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| Northern Mariana Islands | 0–10 | China |
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| Report |
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| Timor-Leste | 6–0 | Northern Mariana Islands |
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Report |
Group E
- All matches were held in Kyrgyzstan.
- Times listed are UTC+6.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Kyrgyzstan (H) |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 3 | +7 | 7 | Final tournament |
| 2 |  Uzbekistan |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 3 | +5 | 7 | |
| 3 |  Palestine |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 3 | |
| 4 |  Sri Lanka |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 15 | −15 | 0 |
| Uzbekistan | 4–0 | Sri Lanka |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| Palestine | 1–2 | Kyrgyzstan |
|---|---|---|
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Report |
| Sri Lanka | 0–5 | Palestine |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
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| Kyrgyzstan | 2–2 | Uzbekistan |
|---|---|---|
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Report |
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| Uzbekistan | 2–1 | Palestine |
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Report |
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Group F
- All matches were held in Pathum Thani, Thailand, at Thammasat Stadium, as there were problems with the pitch at the originally scheduled True BG Stadium.
- Times listed are UTC+7.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Thailand (H) |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 3 | +7 | 7 | Final tournament |
| 2 |  Lebanon |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 7 | |
| 3 |  Malaysia |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 3 | +5 | 3 | |
| 4 |  Mongolia |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 16 | −16 | 0 |
Attendance: 126
Referee: Sultan Mohamed Al-Hammadi (United Arab Emirates)
Group G
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Iraq |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | +8 | 7 | Final tournament |
| 2 |  Cambodia (H) |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 5 | |
| 3 |  Oman |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | |
| 4 |  Pakistan |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 10 | −9 | 0 |
Group H
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Qatar (H) |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 2 | +15 | 9 | Final tournament |
| 2 |  India |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 6 | |
| 3 |  Bahrain |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 4 | +7 | 3 | |
| 4 |  Brunei |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 29 | −29 | 0 |
| Qatar | 13–0 | Brunei |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| Qatar | 2–1 | Bahrain |
|---|---|---|
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Report |
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Group I
- All matches were held in United Arab Emirates.
- Times listed are UTC+4.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iran |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 2 | +11 | 9 | Final tournament |
| 2 |  United Arab Emirates (H) |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 3 | +14 | 6 | |
| 3 |  Hong Kong |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | −5 | 3 | |
| 4 |  Guam |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 20 | −20 | 0 |
| Iran | 4–0 | Hong Kong |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| United Arab Emirates | 13–0 | Guam |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| Guam | 0–6 | Iran |
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| Report |
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| Hong Kong | 0–2 | United Arab Emirates |
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| Report |
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| United Arab Emirates | 2–3 | Iran |
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Group J
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  South Korea |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | +13 | 9 | Final tournament |
| 2 |  Indonesia (H) |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 4 | |
| 3 |  Laos |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 8 | −5 | 4 | |
| 4 |  Macau |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 13 | −12 | 0 |
| South Korea | 5–0 | Macau |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| Laos | 0–7 | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
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| South Korea | 1–0 | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
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Report |
Group K
- All matches were held in Tajikistan.
- Times listed are UTC+5.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Syria |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 9 | Final tournament |
| 2 |  Philippines |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 6 | |
| 3 |  Tajikistan (H) |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 3 | |
| 4 |  Nepal |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 12 | −10 | 0 |
| Syria | 2–1 | Philippines |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
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Attendance: 44
Referee: Saeed Rashid Al-Marzooqi (United Arab Emirates)
| Tajikistan | 4–0 | Nepal |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Philippines | 1–0 | Tajikistan |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| Tajikistan | 0–1 | Syria |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
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Ranking of second-placed teams
The four best-ranked runners-up also qualified for the final tournament.
| Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | China |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | +11 | 7 | Final tournament |
| 2 | E | Uzbekistan |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 3 | +5 | 7 | |
| 3 | F | Lebanon |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 7 | |
| 4 | I | United Arab Emirates |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 3 | +14 | 6 | |
| 5 | H | India |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 6 | |
| 6 | A | Turkmenistan |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 3 | +5 | 6 | |
| 7 | K | Philippines |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 6 | |
| 8 | C | Yemen |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 6 | |
| 9 | G | Cambodia |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 5 | |
| 10 | J | Indonesia |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 4 | |
| 11 | B | Kuwait |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 4 |
Goalscorers
There were 271 goals scored in 66 matches, for an average of 4.11 goals per match.
5 goals
4 goals
Behram Abduweli
Mostafa El Sayed
Seksan Ratree
Daýanç Meredow
Saeed Maqdami
Rustam Turdimurodov
3 goals
Jing Reec- Wang Yudong
Vibin Mohanan
Saeid Saharkhizan
Ali Jasim
Tokumo Kawai
Ibrahim Sabra- Moamen Al-Saket
Kimi Merk
Fergus Tierney- Hashmi Al-Hussein
- Jassem Al-Sharshani
Cho Sang-hyeok- Mohammed Al-Mansoori
2 goals
- Ethan Alagich
- Yaya Dukuly
- Aydan Hammond
- Nathan Paull
- Joshua Rawlins
Mubarak Bin Ahmed- Abdulrahman Al-Khayyat
- Abdullah Al-Subaei
- Zhu Pengyu
Gali Freitas- Alexandro Lemos
- Mohammed Aimen
- Muhammad Suhail
- Amirmohammad Razzaghinia
- Ahmed Aayed
- Gaku Nawata
- Keisuke Gotō
- Mohammad Abu Hazeem
- Ali Al-Azaizeh
- Marlen Murzakhmatov
Ali El Fadl- Hasan Farhat
- Danny Istambouli
- Aysar Hadi
- Aliff Izwan
Swan Htet
Khalid Abu El Haija
Sandro Reyes- Marawan Brimil
- Noureldan Tamer
- Hwang Do-yoon
- Jeong Jae-sang
- Park Seung-ho
Mahmoud Al-Aswad- Mohammad Al-Mustafa
Muhammadali Azizboev- Kakana Khamyok
- Söhbet Durdyýew
- Junior Ndiaye
- Bekhruz Askarov
1 goal
Maroof Mohammadi- Yaser Safi
- Rhys Bozinovski
- Matthew Grimaldi
- Saood Ebrahim
- Abdullah Hesham Ghanem
- Khaled Al-Khalaf
- Hesham Khalaidat
- Sayed Al-Moosawi
Mohsin Ahmed- Mohammed Al-Amin
- Fahamedul Islam
- Shekh Morsalin
Jetsuen Dorji- Sonam Dorji
- Kinzang Tenzin
Yem Davit- Kuai Jiwen
- Li Xinxiang
- Xiang Yuwang
Lin Chen- Wei Chih-chuan
- Luis Figo Ribeiro
- Fretelian dos Santos
- Oatnasio da Silva
Lee Lok Him- Ayush Chhetri
- Shivaldo Singh
Zanadin Fariz- Arkhan Fikri
- Rayhan Hannan
- Rafael Struick
- Mohammadjavad Hosseinnejad
- Farhan Jafari
- Alireza Safari
- Amoori Faisal
- Mustafa Qabeel
- Ali Sadeq
- Dhulfiqar Younis
- Uche Nwadike
- Tariqkani Okabe
- Shion Shinkawa
- Ryunosuke Yada
- Abdallah Al-Mnayyes
- Ayham Al-Samamreh
- Amin Al-Shanaineh
Ahmad Boodai- Moath Al-Enezi
- Erbol Abduzhaparov
- Beknaz Almazbekov
- Khristiyan Brauzman
- Said Datsiev
- Arsen Sharshenbekov
Khampane Douangvilay- Peter Phanthavong
Lei Man Tek- Ziad El Basheer
Nirajan Dhami- Sumit Shrestha
Turki Bait Rabie
McKeal Abdullah- Ibrahim Abu Illan
- Oday Hasoun
- Mohammed Sandouqa
- Qais Taha
- Ali Al-Tamra
- Otu Banatao
- Dov Cariño
- Noah Leddel
- Javier Mariona
- Abdulaziz Muhammed
- Mobark Shanan
- Mohamed Surag
Khairin Nadim- Louka Tan
- Jeong Ji-hoon
- Kang Seong-jin
- Lee Kyung-dong
- Seo Jae-min
- Ali Al-Rina
- Mahmoud Nayef
- Mohamad Al-Sarakbi
- Rahmatshoh Rahmatzoda
- Daler Sharipov
- Chanapach Buaphan
- Yotsakorn Burapha
- Chawanwit Saelao
- Iklas Sanron
- Abdyrahman Annamyradow
- Magtymberdi Berenow
- Eisa Al-Harasi
- Mayed Al-Kass
- Dhari Al-Maazmi
- Yousif Al-Marzooqi
- Ali Al-Memari
- Mansoor Al-Menhali
- Solomon Sosu
- Ahmed Yadoo
- Sardorbek Bakhromov
- Umarali Rakhmonaliev
Lê Văn Thuận- Viktor Le
- Nguyễn Ngọc Mỹ
- Nguyễn Thanh Nhàn
Abdo Al-Awami- Radhi Ebrahim
- Abdulaziz Masnom
1 own goal
- Huang Chun-lin (against Jordan)
- Huang Cho Fong (against Laos)
- Leong Lek Han (against Indonesia)
Qualified teams
The following teams qualified for the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup.
| Team | Qualification method | Date of qualification | Appearance(s) | Previous best performance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | First | Last | ||||
 Saudi Arabia |
Hosts | 1 July 2023 | 7th |
Champions (2022) | ||
| Jordan |
Group A winners | 9 September 2025 | Third place (2013) | |||
| Japan |
Group B winners | 9 September 2025 | Champions (2016, 2024) | |||
| Vietnam |
Group C winners | 9 September 2025 | 6th |
Runners-up (2018) | ||
| Australia |
Group D winners | 9 September 2025 | 7th |
Third place (2020) | ||
| Kyrgyzstan |
Group E winners | 9 September 2025 | 1st |
None |
Debut | |
| Thailand |
Group F winners | 9 September 2025 | 6th |
Quarter-finals (2020) | ||
| Iraq |
Group G winners | 9 September 2025 | 7th |
Champions (2013) | ||
| Qatar |
Group H winners | 9 September 2025 | 6th |
Third place (2018) | ||
| Iran |
Group I winners | 9 September 2025 | 5th |
Quarter-finals (2016) | ||
| South Korea |
Group J winners | 9 September 2025 | 7th |
Champions (2020) | ||
| Syria |
Group K winners | 9 September 2025 | 5th |
Quarter-finals (2013, 2020) | ||
| China |
Best runners-up | 9 September 2025 | 6th |
Group stage (2013, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2024) | ||
| Uzbekistan |
Second-best runners-up | 9 September 2025 | 7th |
Champions (2018) | ||
| Lebanon |
Third-best runners-up | 9 September 2025 | 1st |
None |
Debut | |
| United Arab Emirates |
Fourth-best runners-up | 9 September 2025 | 6th |
Quarter-finals (2013, 2016, 2020) | ||
- Notes
See also
Notes
- The match, originally scheduled for 19:30, was delayed until 21:00 due to heavy rain.