Asia introduces new generation of U23 players

Giải U23 châu Á 2026 - Ảnh 1. — Indonesia U23 (left) is expected to spring a surprise on South Korea U23 in the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers - Photo: BOLA

The 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers will feature 44 teams, divided into 11 groups of 4 teams each. After the qualifying matches, the top 11 teams from each group and the 4 best-performing teams will qualify for the finals next year in Saudi Arabia.

Difference in class

In Olympic years, the 2026 AFC U23 Championship also serves as the Asian qualifying tournament for the men's Olympic football tournament. However, since there will be no Olympics in 2026, the goal of the AFC U23 Championship is simply to provide a platform for young players to train and develop. Here, fans will have the opportunity to assess and reshape the landscape of Asian youth football.

The 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers feature 11 teams in the top seeded group: Vietnam, Qatar, Thailand, Tajikistan, UAE, Uzbekistan, Japan, Iraq, South Korea, Jordan, and Australia. These are the teams that have performed well in recent AFC U23 Asian Cups.

Therefore, they are considered to have some of the best U23 football teams in Asia during this period. It's also quite a coincidence that most of the teams in this group also possess strong national teams.

Looking at the seedings, experts predict that there will be very few surprises in the qualifying rounds because the teams in Group 1 are far superior to the rest, especially those in Groups 3 and 4. In recent seasons, fans have rarely seen teams in the top seed group "dropped out" in the qualifying rounds.

Even if they don't finish top of the group, they'll easily qualify as one of the four best-performing second-placed teams.

In the second seeded group of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship, there are also quite a few names that make opponents wary, such as Indonesia, Syria, China, Palestine, and Iran. Unfortunately for these teams, they are drawn into groups with extremely strong top-seeded teams.

Waiting for the second-tier teams to rise up.

Specifically, U23 Indonesia is the second seed but could easily top their qualifying group if the top seed isn't South Korea. Meanwhile, U23 China has to face a much stronger opponent in the qualifying round: Australia.

But there are also some lucky second-seeded teams that are drawn into groups where the favored team is only slightly stronger. For example, U23 Malaysia, who are in Group F with Thailand. U23 Iran will face UAE (Group I) and Syria will clash with Tajikistan (Group K). Similarly, U23 Yemen (second seed) will only have to play U23 Vietnam.

With such a random draw, the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers promise to be very exciting. Some groups have vastly different skill levels, making the results predictable, but others are very unpredictable. This is especially true considering that youth football is inherently full of surprises, as players' performances depend heavily on their initial enthusiasm.

According to expert predictions, although some groups will feature very strong teams, most will qualify thanks to the four spots reserved for the second-placed teams. One thing to look forward to in the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers is the attitude of the big teams.

The 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers coincide with FIFA Days, so the question arises whether top football nations should prioritize their best young players for the national team or the U23 team.

Their approach to the U23 Asian Championship qualifiers will be decisive. This is the time for Asia's top football nations to showcase their squad depth and open up opportunities for smaller teams to spring surprises.

HOAI DU

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chau-a-trinh-lang-lua-u23-moi-20250903075736253.htm