Speaking to the New Straits Times on the evening of February 11th, AFC Secretary General Datuk Seri Windsor Paul John stated that the AFC, OCA, and host nation Japan have agreed that the men's football tournament at the 2026 Asian Games will feature only 16 teams, with all participation slots determined entirely by performance. Specifically, the 16 teams that qualify for the 2026 AFC U-23 Championship in Saudi Arabia will automatically qualify for the Asian Games, instead of the previous flexible registration mechanism through national Olympic committees.
Datuk Seri Windsor Paul John emphasized: “AFC is responsible for the technical aspects, while the scale of the tournament and the number of participating teams are decided by the host country. The Aichi-Nagoya ASIAD will be a 16-team tournament, and the selection will be based on the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Championship rankings.”
The AFC Secretary General has clarified the changes to the 20th Asian Games.
PHOTO: AFC
With the new regulations, the Vietnam U23 and Thailand U23 teams officially secured their tickets to the 2026 ASIAD by qualifying for the 2026 AFC U23 Championship. Notably, the Vietnam U23 team also finished the tournament in third place, thus affirming their leading position in the region.
"With only two Southeast Asian representatives remaining, Vietnam and Thailand's inclusion in the ASIAD is seen as a natural outcome of a long-term investment strategy, focusing on official AFC tournaments rather than spreading resources thinly," New Straits Times assessed.
Indonesian men's football team pulls off a surprise, Malaysia no longer has a chance to qualify for the ASIAD.
Conversely, the rule of "based solely on performance" has become a major shock to many football nations in the region. Indonesian media outlets unanimously expressed surprise that the Indonesian U23 team did not qualify for the 2026 Asian Games because they failed to qualify for the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.
CNN Indonesia, citing an announcement from the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), reported that Singapore has also officially withdrawn from the 2026 Asian Games because it did not meet the new criteria of the AFC and OCA. Bola Times and News Straits Times share the same opinion: the new rules have "blocked the door" for a number of teams that were familiar with the Asian Games thanks to their free registration.
Following this news, Mr. Sumardji – Chairman of the Indonesian National Teams Executive Board and also a member of the PSSI Executive Committee – expressed considerable surprise. “Where did the information that the Indonesian U23 team is ineligible for the 2026 Asian Games come from? What is the reason? I will verify this,” he said.
Malaysian football is in a similar situation. The fact that their U23 team skipped the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games (China) to prioritize the SEA Games and the U23 Asian Championship qualifiers has left them with no "backward option" now that the new criteria have been implemented. From reaching the round of 16 at the 2018 Asian Games, Malaysian youth football is now forced to stay out of the continental competition.
Vietnam U23 will participate in ASIAD 20, while Indonesia U23 will be absent.
PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG
Meanwhile, the 2026 ASIAD women's football tournament will also apply similar criteria. Specifically, the 12 teams participating in the 2026 Women's Asian Cup will qualify directly for the ASIAD.
In Southeast Asia, the Vietnamese and Philippine women's national teams meet this condition, further solidifying the increasingly prominent position of women's football in the region on the Asian map.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/afc-chi-ro-thay-doi-cuc-lon-giup-bong-da-viet-nam-co-ve-du-asiad-bao-indonesia-noi-dieu-bat-ngo-185260211201911951.htm
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