Confirmed 16 teams for the 2026 AFC U17 Championship finals: Vietnam included...

The complete list of 16 teams for the 2026 AFC U17 Championship finals next March has been confirmed.

The qualification phase for the 2026 AFC U17 Championship officially concluded after the last matches on the evening of November 30. Vietnam’s U17 team delivered an outstanding performance by defeating Malaysia 4-0, securing their spot in the 2026 AFC U17 Championship finals with a flawless record of five wins in five qualifying matches, scoring 30 goals without conceding any.

Besides Vietnam’s U17, six other teams topped their groups in the qualifiers to qualify for the finals: China U17 (Group A winner), Yemen (Group B winner), India (Group D winner), Australia (Group E winner), Thailand (Group F winner), and Myanmar (Group G winner).

Seven teams progressed from the qualifiers along with nine teams granted automatic entry as hosts or based on strong past performances, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Uzbekistan, South Korea, North Korea, Japan, Indonesia, UAE, and Tajikistan. These 16 teams will compete in the 2026 AFC U17 Championship finals.

The 2026 AFC U17 Championship finals will take place from March 7 to 24, 2026. The 16 teams will be divided into four groups of four teams each. This will be another major opportunity for Vietnam U17 to qualify for the U17 World Cup by advancing past the group stage to secure a place on the global stage.

From 2025 to 2029, the U17 World Cup will be held annually with the number of participating teams expanded to 48. Therefore, the AFC U17 Championship will also be organized accordingly to determine the 8 Asian representatives. Simply advancing beyond the group stage in the AFC U17 Championship will enable Vietnam U17 to qualify for the World Cup for the first time.

Vietnam U17 missed the chance to participate in the 2025 U17 World Cup very regrettably after failing to advance from the group stage of the 2025 AFC U17 Championship. In that tournament, coach Roland’s team drew all three tough opponents—Japan, UAE, and Australia—but could not progress. The 2026 AFC Championship is their next opportunity to make a comeback.