Football at the 2026 Asian Games
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The Football tournament at the 2026 Asian Games is being held between 14 September and 3 October 2026 in several cities across both Chūbu and Kansai regions. In this tournament, fifteen teams participate in men's competition and twelve teams participate in women's competition.
| Football at the 2026 Asian Games | |||||||||
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| Event details | |||||||||
| Games | 2026 Asian Games | ||||||||
| Host country | Japan | ||||||||
| Dates | 14 September – 3 October 2026 | ||||||||
| Venues | 7 (in 6 host cities) | ||||||||
| Competitors | TBA from 18 nations | ||||||||
| Men's tournament | |||||||||
| Teams | 15 (from 1 confederation) | ||||||||
| Women's tournament | |||||||||
| Teams | 12 (from 1 confederation) | ||||||||
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| Editions | |||||||||
← 2022 2030 → | |||||||||
South Korea are the men's defending champions. Japan were the women's defending champions, and successfully defended the title beating North Korea in the final on penalties.
Competition schedule
The schedule is as follows:[1]
| G | Group stage | 1⁄4 | Quarter-finals | 1⁄2 | Semi-finals | B | Bronze medal match | F | Gold medal match |
Venues
A total of seven venues around six cities is used.
Eleven venues were chosen for the bid after Aichi-Nagoya was selected, including Toyota, Nagoya, Kariya, Oita, Utsunomiya, Yokohama, Hiroshima, Suita, Saitama, Chiba and Chōfu. Those venues where shortlisted to Toyota, Nagoya, Kariya, Gifu, Shizuoka, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe, then later excluded Kyoto and Kobe on 30 April 2025. Notably, none of the stadiums used in the 2020 Olympics and 2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup is used in this tournament, and the Shizuoka Stadium with Nagai Stadium are the only stadiums in this tournament that were used in the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
The Toyota Stadium hosts the men's finals, while Shizuoka Stadium hosts the women's finals.[1]
| Fukuroi | Osaka | Toyota | Gifu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shizuoka Stadium | Nagai Stadium | Toyota Stadium | Gifu Nagaragawa Stadium |
| Capacity: 50,889 | Capacity: 47,853 | Capacity: 45,000 | Capacity: 26,109 |
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| Nagoya | |||
| Paloma Mizuho Rugby Stadium | |||
| Capacity: 10,400 | |||
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| Nagoya | |||
| CS Asset Minato Soccer Stadium | |||
| Capacity: 6,700 | |||
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| Kariya | |||
| Wave Stadium Kariya | |||
| Capacity: 2,602 | |||
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These host cities host the following matches:
- Fukuroi
- Women's – 6 group stage, 2 quarter-finals, 2 semi-finals, bronze medal match and gold medal match
- Osaka
- Men's – 2 semi-final matches
- Women's – 6 group stage, 2 quarter-final matches
- Toyota
- Men's – 6 group stage, 2 quarter-finals, bronze medal match and gold medal match
- Gifu
- Women's – 5 group stage matches
- Nagoya, Rugby Stadium
- Men's – 4 group stage, 2 quarter-final matches
- Nagoya, Soccer Stadium
- Men's – 5 group stage matches
- Kariya
- Men's – 6 group stage matches
- Women's – 1 group stage match
Qualification
In the previous editions, participating nations were free to enter teams in the football tournament of the Asian Games. For the 2026 Asian Games, a qualification criteria was set up with the participating teams of the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifying for the men's tournament, and the teams of the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualifying for the women's tournament (both with the exception of Australia due to not being a member of the OCA).[2][3] On 12 March 2026, it was confirmed that Hong Kong's both men's team and women's team would participate in the tournament.[4][5] On 29 June 2026, it was confirmed that the Philippines would participate in the men's tournament.[6][7] On 10 July 2026, Indian media The Times of India reported the final men's and women's participating teams; according to the list, in the men's tournament, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria would no longer participate, and were replaced by Kuwait and North Korea. In the women's tournament India and Iran would no longer participate, and were replaced by Myanmar and Thailand. They also stated that the women's tournament will be held not by 16 teams but by 12 teams.[8] On 19 July 2026, 4 days before the draw, it was reported that Iraq had withdrawn from the men's tournament, and its spot would not be filled by another team.[9]
The draw for the tournaments were held on 23 July 2026.[10]
| Nation | Men's | Women's |
|---|---|---|
 Bangladesh | N/a |  |
 China | | |
 Chinese Taipei | N/a | |
 Hong Kong | | |
 Iran | | N/a |
 Japan | | |
 Kuwait | | N/a |
 Kyrgyzstan | | N/a |
 Myanmar | N/a | |
 North Korea | | |
 Philippines | | |
 Qatar | | N/a |
 Saudi Arabia | | N/a |
 South Korea | | |
 Thailand | | |
 United Arab Emirates | | N/a |
 Uzbekistan | | |
 Vietnam | | |
| Total: 18 NOCs | 15/15 | 12/12 |
Participating teams
Men's tournament
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Women's tournament
| Group E | Group F | Group G |
|---|---|---|
|
Men's tournament
Group stage
15 teams were divided into four groups. Top two teams from each group advance to the quarter-finals.
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan (H) |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | +12 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Thailand |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 6 | |
| 3 | Kyrgyzstan |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 10 | −4 | 3 | |
| 4 | Hong Kong |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 11 | −10 | 0 |
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 5 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | North Korea |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 4 | |
| 3 | Iran |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 4 | |
| 4 | United Arab Emirates |
3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 2 |
Group C
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uzbekistan |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | +8 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Vietnam |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | |
| 3 | Philippines |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 | −5 | 3 | |
| 4 | Kuwait |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 1 |
Group D
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Korea |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Saudi Arabia |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| 3 | Qatar |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | −5 | 0 |
Medal round
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Gold medal match | ||||||||
| 25 September – Nagoya | ||||||||||
| South Korea | 4 | |||||||||
| 30 September – Osaka | ||||||||||
| Vietnam | 0 | |||||||||
| South Korea | 2 | |||||||||
| 26 September – Toyota | ||||||||||
| China | 1 | |||||||||
| China | 3 | |||||||||
| 3 October – Toyota | ||||||||||
| Thailand | 0 | |||||||||
| South Korea | ||||||||||
| 25 September – Nagoya | ||||||||||
| Japan | ||||||||||
| Uzbekistan | 3 | |||||||||
| 30 September – Osaka | ||||||||||
| Saudi Arabia | 0 | |||||||||
| Uzbekistan | 1 (8) | |||||||||
| 26 September – Toyota | ||||||||||
| Japan (p) | 1 (9) | Bronze medal match | ||||||||
| Japan | 1 | |||||||||
| 3 October – Toyota | ||||||||||
| North Korea | 0 | |||||||||
| China | ||||||||||
| Uzbekistan | ||||||||||
Women's tournament
Group stage
12 teams were divided into three groups. Top two teams from each group along with two best third-placed teams advance to the quarter-finals.
Group E
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan (H) |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | +20 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 |  Chinese Taipei |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 6 | |
| 3 | Vietnam |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 10 | −9 | 1 | |
| 4 | Thailand |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 9 | −9 | 1 |
Group F
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Korea |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 1 | +18 | 7 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | South Korea |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | +11 | 7 | |
| 3 | Myanmar |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 13 | −13 | 1 | |
| 4 | Bangladesh |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 16 | −16 | 1 |
Group G
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 3 | +8 | 7 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Uzbekistan |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 5 | |
| 3 | Philippines |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 4 | |
| 4 | Hong Kong |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 9 | −7 | 0 |
Ranking of third-placed teams
| Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G | Philippines |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 4 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | E | Vietnam |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 10 | −9 | 1 | |
| 3 | F | Myanmar |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 13 | −13 | 1 |
Medal round
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Gold medal match | ||||||||
| 25 September – Fukuroi | ||||||||||
| North Korea | 5 | |||||||||
| 29 September – Fukuroi | ||||||||||
| Chinese Taipei | 1 | |||||||||
| North Korea | 2 | |||||||||
| 25 September – Osaka | ||||||||||
| China | 0 | |||||||||
| China (a.e.t.) | 1 | |||||||||
| 2 October – Fukuroi | ||||||||||
| Vietnam | 0 | |||||||||
| North Korea | 2 (3) | |||||||||
| 25 September – Fukuroi | ||||||||||
| Japan (p) | 2 (5) | |||||||||
| Japan | 4 | |||||||||
| 29 September – Fukuroi | ||||||||||
| Philippines | 0 | |||||||||
| Japan | 2 | |||||||||
| 25 September – Osaka | ||||||||||
| South Korea | 0 | Bronze medal match | ||||||||
| South Korea | 6 | |||||||||
| 2 October – Fukuroi | ||||||||||
| Uzbekistan | 3 | |||||||||
| China | 0 | |||||||||
| South Korea | 1 | |||||||||
Medal summary
Medal table
* Host nation (Japan)
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan* | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | North Korea | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | South Korea | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (3 entries) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
Medalists
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's tournament |
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| Women's tournament |
Japan Natsumi Asano Shiori Fukuda Shū Ohba Sumire Suzuki Sakurako Ōhashi Wakaba Gotō Yūki Seno Ai Kuwahara Fukina Mizuno Fūna Yanase Kotono Sakakibara Yui Narumiya Yuzuho Shiokoshi Juri Ito Saori Takarada Hikaru Yūmura Yoshino Nakashima Megu Hamada Mami Ueno Chiina Kamiya Nanasa Ikuta Ai Tsujisawa Hanon Nishio |
North Korea Pak Ju-mi Ri Myong-gum Ri Kum-hyang Oh Sol-song An Kuk-hyang An Pok-yong Myong Yu-jong Ri Song-a Kim Song-gyong Jong Kum Han Jin-hong Hong Song-ok Jon Ryong-jong Hwang Yu-yong Choe Il-son Song Chun-sim Kim Kyong-yong Yu Son-gum Choe Kum-ok Chae Un-yong Chae Un-gyong Kim Hye-yong Ri Hye-gyong |
South Korea Kim Kyeong-hee Ryu Ji-soo Kim Min-jung Han Da-in Lee Min-hwa Noh Jin-young Ko Yoo-jin Jeong Yu-jin Jang Sel-gi Kim Hye-ri Choo Hyo-joo Park Hye-jeong Park Ye-na Ji So-yun Choe Yu-ri Hyun Seul-gi Jung Min-young Yun Su-jeong Kim Min-ji Kang Tae-kyung Kang Chae-rim Son Hwa-yeon Jeong Da-bin |