AFC President delivers a message to Asian football

AFC President: The year 2026 ushers in a new era of rapid progress for football in Asia.

Looking ahead to 2026, AFC President Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa affirms that this will be a pivotal year featuring numerous major football events across Asia and the world, including the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026, FIFA World Cup 2026, and strategic reforms aimed at promoting sustainable growth of Asian football.

In a letter addressed to the leaders of member football associations as 2025 draws to a close and 2026 approaches, AFC President Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa highlighted that 2025 witnessed significant advancements in Asian football across multiple aspects. The AFC officially launched a new identity system with the message “Connecting Asia through the power of football,” alongside successfully implementing revolutionary reforms in club and national team competitions.

Among the highlights are the operation of new tournaments such as AFC Champions League Elite™, AFC Champions League Two™, AFC Women’s Champions League™, and AFC Challenge League™, along with the return of the AFC Women’s Futsal Asian Cup™. These initiatives open a new chapter for Asian football, clearly demonstrating AFC’s commitment to excellence, expanding competition opportunities, and promoting inclusivity.

Additionally, Asia’s football status on the global stage continues to rise through hosting numerous major FIFA tournaments. The Philippines made history by hosting the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup for the first time, while Qatar reaffirmed its hosting capabilities with the FIFA Arab Cup and FIFA U17 World Cup. These events not only generate strong enthusiasm among global fans but also showcase Asia’s growing confidence, ability, and ambition.

Entering 2026, Asian football is expected to continue its leap forward with a series of major events. A key highlight is the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026™, held in Australia from March 1 to 21, 2026. The tournament gathers the 12 best women’s national teams in Asia, competing in modern stadiums across Queensland, New South Wales, and Western Australia, demonstrating the maturity and growing stature of women’s football in Asia.

Moreover, throughout 2026, numerous youth tournaments and futsal development activities at all levels will take place across the continent. These are seen as critical foundations for the path toward future FIFA World Cups, helping to discover, train talent, and ensure a sustainable future for Asian football.

Notably, the FIFA World Cup 2026 – the world’s biggest sporting event – will be held in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, featuring Asian teams on football’s grandest stage, carrying the hopes of billions of fans in the region.

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