New Delhi, Aug 5 (PTI) India will be one among the seven hosts in the AFC U-17 Asian Cup football qualifiers, scheduled to be played from November 22 to 30.
The Arena in Ahmedabad will be the venue for all matches. The draw for the qualifiers will take place on August 7.
The 38 Countries participating in the qualifiers will be drawn into seven groups (three groups of six teams and four groups of five teams each).
The group winners will qualify for the AFC U17 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026, joining nine participating AFC teams in the FIFA U17 World Cup Qatar 2025, who have already directly qualified for the tournament.
AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey said: “It is a matter of great pride for India to be among the hosts of the AFC U17 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers, and I am particularly pleased to see Ahmedabad take centre stage.
“I sincerely hope that India qualifies for the AFC U17 Asian Cup, which serves as the gateway to the FIFA U17 World Cup, and take another important step forward in Indian football’s long-term development pathway.” Gujarat sports minister Harsh Sanghavi said: “It’s an opportunity for the state to showcase its love for the beautiful game, its world-class hospitality, and our rising football culture. Hosting a prestigious event such as this will position Ahmedabad on the Asian football map.” The 38 teams competing in the qualifiers have been divided into six pots based on the seeding and pot allocation principle, which takes into account the team’s performance in the last three tournaments (2025, 2023, and 2018).
While India are in Pot 2, they will be placed in an additional Hosts Pot for the purpose of the draw to ensure all hosts are drawn in separate groups. China PR, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Kyrgyz Republic, and Jordan are the other six hosts that cannot be drawn into India’s group.
Pots for the AFC U17 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers Draw: Pot 1: Australia, Yemen, IR Iran, Oman, Thailand Pot 2: Afghanistan, Malaysia, Iraq, Bangladesh, Laos, Kuwait Pot 3: Singapore, Bahrain, Philippines, Turkmenistan, Palestine Pot 4: Syria, Mongolia, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Brunei Darussalam Pot 5: Nepal, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Maldives, Timor-Leste, Lebanon Pot 6: Macau, Sri Lanka, Pakistan Hosts Pot: China PR, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Myanmar, Kyrgyz Republic, Jordan. PTI KHS KHS KHS
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