2026 U23 Asian Cup Qualification: Indonesia Host, One Group With South Korea
JAKARTA - The draw, which was held at the AFC House, Kuala Lumpur, Thursday, puts Indonesia in the face of South Korea, Laos, and Macau in Group J of the 2026 U23 Asian Cup Qualification.
A total of 44 teams were divided into 11 groups to compete for tickets to the final round in Saudi Arabia in January 2026.
Indonesia will host Group J, with qualifying matches scheduled to take place on September 1, 2025.
Of the whole group, only the group winners and the four best second-placed teams qualified for the finals, joined the hosts Saudi Arabia who automatically qualified.
Group J is predicted to be one of the most competitive. South Korea, the 2020 edition champion, is the main seed.
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Meanwhile, Indonesia, which will appear impressive in the 2024 U23 Asian Cup by reaching the semifinals, will appear in front of its own public and is expected to be able to create another surprise.
Complete results for the 2026 U23 Cup qualifying draw:
Group A: Jordan (H), Turkmenistan, Taiwan, Bhutan
Group B: Japan, Kuwait, Myanmar (H), Afghanistan
Group C: Vietnam (H), Yemen, Singapore, Bangladesh
Group D: Australia, China PR (H), Timor Leste, North Mariana Islands
Group E: Uzbekistan, Palestine, Kyrgyzstan (H), Sri Lanka
Group F: Thailand (H), Malaysia, Lebanon, Mongolia
Group G: Iraq, Cambodia (H), Oman, Pakistan
Group H: Qatar (H), Bahrain, India, Brunei Darussalam
Group I: United Arab Emirates (H), Iran, Hong Kong, Guam
Group J: South Korea, Indonesia (H), Laos, Macau
Group K: Tajikistan (H), Syria, Philippines, Nepal
The 2026 edition tournament will be the first time Saudi Arabia has hosted the U23 Asian Cup.
This championship is also an important event because it is often a barometer of the strength of young teams in Asia, as well as a stepping stone to senior events and the Olympics.