Ahmedabad To Host AFC U-17 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers In November
India will host the AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers in Ahmedabad from November 22 to 30.
India has been selected as one of the seven host nations for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup football qualifiers, which will take place between November 22 and 30.
All matches will be conducted at The Arena stadium in Ahmedabad. The draw for the qualifiers is scheduled for August 7.
A total of 38 countries participating in the qualifiers will be grouped into seven pools (three groups consisting of six teams each, and four groups with five teams each).
The top team from each group will secure qualification for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026. These teams will join the nine AFC sides that have already earned direct qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025.
All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Kalyan Chaubey stated, “It is a proud moment for India to be among the hosts of the AFC U-17 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers, and I am especially happy that Ahmedabad will be in the spotlight. I truly hope that India qualifies for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup, which is a pathway to the FIFA U-17 World Cup, and continues to progress in Indian football’s long-term development journey.”
Gujarat Sports Minister Harsh Sanghavi said, “This is a great opportunity for the state to display its passion for football, its excellent hospitality, and our growing football culture. Hosting such a prestigious tournament will firmly place Ahmedabad on the Asian football map.”
The 38 participating teams have been split into six pots for the draw, based on seeding and allocation rules, which take into account the teams’ performances in the past three tournaments (2025, 2023, and 2018).
India, placed in Pot 2, will also be included in a separate Hosts Pot to ensure that each host is placed in a different group. China PR, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Kyrgyz Republic, and Jordan are the other hosts and cannot be grouped with India.
Pots for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers Draw:
- Pot 1: Australia, Yemen, IR Iran, Oman, Thailand
- Pot 2: Afghanistan, Malaysia, Iraq, Bangladesh, Laos, Kuwait
- Pot 3: Singapore, Bahrain, Philippines, Turkmenistan, Palestine
- Pot 4: Syria, Mongolia, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Brunei Darussalam
- Pot 5: Nepal, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Maldives, Timor-Leste, Lebanon
- Pot 6: Macau, Sri Lanka, Pakistan
- Hosts Pot: China PR, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Myanmar, Kyrgyz Republic, Jordan
