AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026 Qualifiers Draw To Reveal Participating Teams' Journey

The AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026 journey will start with the Qualifiers draw on Thursday. The event is scheduled for 3 pm at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A total of 31 teams, including the UAE, have confirmed their participation in this 11th edition of the Qualifiers, which will occur from 20th to 24th September.

For the first time, seeding will rely on the latest FIFA Futsal Men’s World Ranking. Teams are divided into four pots and a Hosts Pot. The pot allocations are based on FIFA rankings as of 4th April. Pot 1 includes Iran (5), Thailand (11), Japan (13), Uzbekistan (23), Vietnam (31), Afghanistan (33), Kuwait (40), and Iraq (41).

The draw will split teams into eight groups—seven groups of four and one group of three. Each group will compete in a centralised league format. Indonesia, hosting for the second time since 2002, automatically qualifies for the Finals. They will be joined by eight group winners and seven best-ranked runners-up next January.

Bangladesh and Pakistan are debuting in these Qualifiers. Meanwhile, Iran, Japan, Thailand, and Uzbekistan aim to continue their streak of participating in every edition so far. This year marks a significant change as seeding is determined by FIFA rankings.

Pot 2 consists of Tajikistan (44), Kyrgyzstan (48), Saudi Arabia (50), Australia (52), Lebanon (53), Myanmar (56), Republic of Korea (70), and Malaysia (76). Pot 3 includes China PR (79), Chinese Taipei (82), Bahrain (83), United Arab Emirates (97), Maldives (106), Timor-Leste (109), Mongolia (112), and Macau (115).

In Pot 4 are Hong Kong, China (118), Brunei (119), Palestine (121), Cambodia (125), India (135). Bangladesh and Pakistan remain unranked. The Hosts Pot features Thailand, Kuwait, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, Malaysia, and China PR.

The tournament promises intense competition as teams vie for a spot in Indonesia next year. With new participants like Bangladesh and Pakistan joining seasoned teams such as Iran and Japan, fans can expect exciting matches ahead.

With inputs from WAM