AFC U20 Asian Cup 2026/27

The AFC U20 Asian Cup stands as a biennial international football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for men's under-20 national teams. Founded in 1959 and initially known as the AFC Youth Championship, the competition has evolved through several name changes to align with global standards. It became the AFC U-19 Championship in 2008 when the age limit was lowered, then reverted to the AFC U-20 Asian Cup in 2023 following FIFA’s structural adjustments.

The event serves as the primary qualification pathway for the FIFA U-20 World Cup. The top four teams from the final tournament earn berths to represent Asia at the global youth event. The final tournament features 16 teams, including the host nation, divided into four groups of four. Teams play a round-robin format within groups, with the top two advancing to a single-elimination knockout stage comprising quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final. Since 2008, there is no third-place match; losing semi-finalists are joint third-place finishers. Tied knockout matches go directly to penalty shoot-outs without extra time.

Qualification for the final tournament follows a tiered system. For the 2027 edition, the Qualification Phase involves 32 teams in eight groups. Group winners and the seven best runners-up advance to the finals. The six lowest-ranked fourth-placed teams are relegated to the Development Phase, a secondary tier of 12 teams where the top six earn promotion to the Qualification Phase for the next cycle. South Korea holds the record for most titles with 12, followed by Myanmar with seven and Israel with six. Australia won the inaugural edition under the U-20 name in 2025.