2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup
| كأس آسيا تحت 23 سنة 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Host country | Saudi Arabia |
| Dates | 6–24 January |
| Teams | 16 (from 1 confederation) |
| Venue | 4 (in 2 host cities) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Japan (3rd title) |
| Runners-up | China |
| Third place | Vietnam |
| Fourth place | South Korea |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 32 |
| Goals scored | 73 (2.28 per match) |
| Attendance | 35,655 (1,114 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Nguyễn Đình Bắc Ryūnosuke Satō Ali Azaizeh Leonardo Farah Shahin (4 goals each) |
| Best player | Ryūnosuke Satō |
| Best goalkeeper | Rui Araki |
| Fair play award | South Korea |
← 2024 2028 → | |
The 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup was the 7th edition of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup, the biennial international youth football championship organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for the men's under-23 national teams of Asia. A total of 16 teams played in the final tournament. Players born on or after 1 January 2003 are eligible to participate.
The tournament took place from 6 to 24 January 2026 and was hosted by Saudi Arabia, who was selected for hosting the upcoming 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
16 teams competed in the tournament. Qualification took place in September 2025. Kyrgyzstan and Lebanon qualified for the first time.
This was the final non-Olympic edition of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup with the competition becoming quadrennial.
Defending champions Japan successfully retained the title after defeating the surprise of the tournament, China, in the final, and became the first team to win consecutive titles in the tournament history.