According to regional media, the OCA has canceled plans to limit the number of participating teams in men's and women's football at the 2026 Asian Games. The decision was made after a proposal from host country Japan faced opposition from several member federations.
Previously, the AFC and the Japanese Olympic Committee tightened the number of participating teams. According to the original plan, only 16 teams that qualified for the 2026 AFC U23 Championship would be allowed to participate in the ASIAD in the men's football competition. Meanwhile, in the women's competition, only 12 teams that qualified for the 2026 Women's Asian Cup would be eligible.
The goal of this proposal is to improve the professional quality of football at the 2026 ASIAD, while also making it easier for the organizing committee to manage and schedule matches.
However, some federations argue that the new regulations will disqualify many teams from major continental competitions. Furthermore, the current situation makes this approach difficult to implement. Some eligible teams have withdrawn, while many countries that do not meet the criteria strongly oppose the new regulations.
Under pressure from member federations, the OCA decided not to apply the criteria as originally planned. This means that Asian countries are free to register teams to participate in the football event at the 2026 Asian Games.
Notably, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) is planning to use the U21 age group (players born on or after January 1, 2005) instead of the U23 group, in order to build momentum for the 34th SEA Games in 2027, the 2028 AFC U23 Championship, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic qualifiers.
Source: https://znews.vn/thay-doi-cua-mon-bong-da-o-asiad-2026-post1634458.html
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