AFC U-17 Asian Cup
Updated: 12/20/2025, 2:10:59 PM Wikipedia source
The AFC U-17 Asian Cup, formerly known as the AFC U-16 Championship and AFC U-17 Championship, is a football competition, organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) held once every two years for Asian under-17 teams that also serves as a qualification tournament for the FIFA U-17 World Cup. The top 8 countries qualify to participate in the FIFA U-17 World Cup. Up to 2000, the tournament was for U-16 teams. Between 2002 and 2006 it was held as an under-17 tournament. Between 2008 and 2020, it was switched back to a U-16 Championship. The AFC then returned it to an under-17 tournament starting from 2023. Moreover, the tournament would also be rebranded from the "AFC U-16 Championship" to the "AFC U-17 Asian Cup". On 24 May 2024, AFC announced that the tournament will be held annually from 2026.
Infobox
Tables
| Edition | Year | Host | Final | Third place match | Number of teams | ||||||
| Champions | Score | Runners-up | Third place | Score | Fourth place | ||||||
| 1 | 1985 | Qatar | Saudi Arabia | 0–0 (a.e.t.)(4–3 p) | Qatar | Iraq | 1–0 | Thailand | 7 | ||
| 2 | 1986 | South Korea | 0–0(5–4 p) | Qatar | Saudi Arabia | 2–0 | North Korea | 8 | |||
| 3 | 1988 | Thailand | Saudi Arabia | 2–0 | Bahrain | China | 1–1(4–3 p) | Iraq | 10 | ||
| 4 | 1990 | United Arab Emirates | Qatar | 2–0 | United Arab Emirates | China | 5–0 | Indonesia | 7 | ||
| 5 | 1992 | Saudi Arabia | China | 2–2 (a.e.t.)(8–7 p) | Qatar | Saudi Arabia | 2–1 | North Korea | 8 | ||
| 6 | 1994 | Qatar | Japan | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | Qatar | Oman | 3–2 | Bahrain | 10 | ||
| 7 | 1996 | Thailand | Oman | 1–0 | Thailand | Bahrain | 0–0(4–1 p) | Japan | 10 | ||
| 8 | 1998 | Qatar | Thailand | 1–1 (a.e.t.)(3–2 p) | Qatar | Bahrain | 5–1 | South Korea | 10 | ||
| 9 | 2000 | Vietnam | Oman | 1–0 | Iran | Japan | 4–2 | Vietnam | 10 | ||
| 10 | 2002 | United Arab Emirates | South Korea | 1–1(5–3 p) | Yemen | China | 1–0 | Uzbekistan | 12 | ||
| 11 | 2004 | Japan | China | 1–0 | North Korea | Qatar | 2–1 | Iran | 16 | ||
| 12 | 2006 | Singapore | Japan | 4–2 (a.e.t.) | North Korea | Tajikistan | 3–3 (a.e.t.)(5–4 p) | Syria | 15 | ||
| Edition | Year | Host | Final | Losing semi-finalists1 | |||||||
| Champions | Score | Runners-up | |||||||||
| 13 | 2008 | Uzbekistan | Iran | 2–1 | South Korea | Japan and United Arab Emirates | 16 | ||||
| 14 | 2010 | North Korea | 2–0 | Uzbekistan | Australia and Japan | 16 | |||||
| 15 | 2012 | Iran | Uzbekistan | 1–1(3–1 p) | Japan | Iran and Iraq | 16 | ||||
| 16 | 2014 | Thailand | North Korea | 2–1 | South Korea | Australia and Syria | 16 | ||||
| 17 | 2016 | India | Iraq | 0–0(4–3 p) | Iran | Japan and North Korea | 16 | ||||
| 18 | 2018 | Malaysia | Japan | 1–0 | Tajikistan | Australia and South Korea | 16 | ||||
| — | 2020 | Bahrain | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | ||||||||
| 19 | 2023 | Thailand | Japan | 3–0 | South Korea | Iran and Uzbekistan | 16 | ||||
| 20 | 2025 | Saudi Arabia | Uzbekistan | 2–0 | Saudi Arabia | North Korea and South Korea | 16 | ||||
| 21 | 2026 | 16 | |||||||||
| 22 | 2027 | ||||||||||
| 23 | 2028 | ||||||||||
| Team | Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Fourth place | Semi-finalists | Total |
| Japan | 4 (1994, 2006, 2018, 2023) | 1 (2012) | 1 (2000) | 1 (1996) | 3 (2008, 2010, 2016) | 10 |
| South Korea | 2 (1986, 2002) | 3 (2008, 2014, 2023) | — | 1 (1998) | 2 (2018, 2025) | 8 |
| North Korea | 2 (2010, 2014) | 2 (2004, 2006) | — | 2 (1986, 1992) | 2 (2016, 2025) | 8 |
| Saudi Arabia | 2 (1985, 1988) | 1 (2025) | 2 (1986, 1992) | — | — | 6 |
| Uzbekistan | 2 (2012, 2025) | 1 (2010) | — | 1 (2002) | 1 (2023) | 5 |
| China | 2 (1992, 2004) | — | 3 (1988, 1990, 2002) | — | — | 5 |
| Oman | 2 (1996, 2000) | — | 1 (1994) | — | — | 3 |
| Qatar | 1 (1990) | 5 (1985, 1986, 1992, 1994, 1998) | 1 (2004) | — | — | 7 |
| Iran | 1 (2008) | 2 (2000, 2016) | — | 1 (2004) | 2 (2012, 2023) | 6 |
| Thailand | 1 (1998) | 1 (1996) | — | 1 (1985) | — | 3 |
| Iraq | 1 (2016) | — | 1 (1985) | 1 (1988) | 1 (2012) | 4 |
| Bahrain | — | 1 (1988) | 2 (1996, 1998) | 1 (1994) | — | 4 |
| Tajikistan | — | 1 (2018) | 1 (2006) | — | — | 2 |
| United Arab Emirates | — | 1 (1990) | — | — | 1 (2008) | 2 |
| Yemen | — | 1 (2002) | — | — | — | 1 |
| Syria | — | — | — | 1 (2006) | 1 (2014) | 2 |
| Indonesia | — | — | — | 1 (1990) | — | 1 |
| Vietnam | — | — | — | 1 (2000) | — | 1 |
| Australia | — | — | — | — | 3 (2010, 2014, 2018) | 3 |
| Total (20 editions) | 20 | 20 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 80 |
| Tournament | Best player | Top goal scorer | Goals | Fair play award |
| 2002 United Arab Emirates | Cha Gi-suk | Unknown | South Korea | |
| 2004 Japan | Unknown | Yusef Ahmed | 7 | Unknown |
| 2006 Singapore | Yoichiro Kakitani | Mohamad Jaafar | 6 | Japan |
| 2008 Uzbekistan | Lee Jong-ho | Kaveh Rezaei | 6 | South Korea |
| 2010 Uzbekistan | Timur Khakimov | Timur Khakimov | 5 | Not awarded |
| 2012 Iran | Taro Sugimoto | Hwang Hee-chan | 5 | Not awarded |
| 2014 Thailand | Lee Seung-woo | Lee Seung-woo | 5 | South Korea |
| 2016 India | Mohammed Dawood | Mohammed Dawood | 6 | Iraq |
| 2018 Malaysia | Jun Nishikawa | Luqman Hakim | 5 | Japan |
| 2023 Thailand | Gaku Nawata | Gaku Nawata | 5 | Japan |
| 2025 Saudi Arabia | Sadriddin Khasanov | Asilbek Aliev | 5 | Saudi Arabia |
| Nation | 1985 | 1986 | 1988 | 1990 | 1992 | 1994 | 1996 | 1998 | 2000 | 2002 | 2004 | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | 2012 | 2014 | 2016 | 2018 | 2023 | 2025 | Total |
| Afghanistan | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | × | × | • | DQ | • | • | GS | GS | GS | 3 |
| Australia | • | QF | SF | QF | SF | GS | SF | QF | GS | 8 | |||||||||||
| Bahrain | • | GS | 2nd | • | GS | 4th | 3rd | 3rd | • | • | • | • | GS | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 7 |
| Bangladesh | × | GS | • | • | GS | • | • | GS | GS | × | GS | GS | DQ | • | • | × | • | • | • | • | 6 |
| China | GS | • | 3rd | 3rd | 1st | GS | GS | • | GS | 3rd | 1st | QF | GS | GS | GS | GS | • | • | GS | GS | 16 |
| Hong Kong | × | • | • | • | × | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | GS | • | • | • | • | 1 |
| India | • | • | • | GS | • | • | GS | • | • | QF | GS | • | GS | • | GS | • | GS | QF | GS | • | 9 |
| Indonesia | × | GS | GS | 4th | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | GS | GS | • | • | × | QF | • | QF | 7 |
| Iran | × | • | • | • | • | • | GS | GS | 2nd | × | 4th | QF | 1st | GS | SF | QF | 2nd | GS | SF | GS | 13 |
| Iraq | 3rd | • | 4th | × | × | GS | × | GS | • | • | QF | GS | DQ | QF | SF | • | 1st | GS | • | • | 10 |
| Japan | GS | • | GS | × | • | 1st | 4th | GS | 3rd | GS | GS | 1st | SF | SF | 2nd | QF | SF | 1st | 1st | QF | 17 |
| Jordan | × | • | • | GS | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | QF | × | • | • | GS | • | • | 3 |
| Kuwait | •• | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | GS | • | QF | • | • | GS | QF | GS | × | × | • | • | 5 |
| Kyrgyzstan | × | × | • | • | • | • | • | DQ | • | • | • | GS | • | • | • | 1 | |||||
| Laos | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | GS | DQ | • | • | GS | • | • | • | GS | • | 3 |
| Malaysia | × | • | • | • | • | • | × | • | • | • | GS | • | GS | • | • | QF | GS | GS | GS | • | 6 |
| Myanmar | × | GS | × | × | × | × | × | • | GS | GS | • | GS | × | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 4 |
| Nepal | • | × | • | • | • | × | × | • | GS | × | • | GS | • | • | • | GS | × | • | • | • | 3 |
| North Korea | × | 4th | GS | • | 4th | • | • | GS | × | • | 2nd | 2nd | DQ | 1st | GS | 1st | SF | QF | × | SF | 12 |
| Oman | × | • | • | • | × | 3rd | 1st | GS | 1st | × | QF | • | • | GS | GS | GS | QF | QF | • | GS | 11 |
| Pakistan | × | × | × | × | • | × | × | • | • | GS | × | • | • | • | • | • | × | × | × | × | 1 |
| Qatar | 2nd | 2nd | GS | 1st | 2nd | 2nd | • | 2nd | • | QF | 3rd | • | • | • | • | GS | • | • | GS | • | 11 |
| Saudi Arabia | 1st | 3rd | 1st | •• | 3rd | GS | • | • | • | • | • | QF | QF | • | GS | GS | GS | • | QF | 2nd | 12 |
| Singapore | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | GS | GS | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 2 |
| South Korea | • | 1st | GS | GS | • | GS | GS | 4th | • | 1st | QF | QF | 2nd | • | QF | 2nd | GS | SF | 2nd | SF | 16 |
| South Yemen | GS | • | • | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| Syria | • | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | QF | × | 4th | QF | QF | QF | SF | • | • | • | • | 6 |
| Tajikistan | × | × | • | • | × | • | 3rd | DQ | GS | • | • | • | 2nd | GS | QF | 5 | |||||
| Thailand | 4th | • | GS | • | GS | • | 2nd | 1st | GS | × | GS | • | • | • | GS | GS | GS | GS | QF | GS | 13 |
| Timor-Leste | × | × | × | GS | • | × | • | • | × | × | 1 | ||||||||||
| Turkmenistan | × | × | • | • | • | • | • | GS | • | × | • | • | × | • | • | 1 | |||||
| United Arab Emirates | • | • | • | 2nd | GS | GS | • | • | • | QF | • | • | SF | QF | • | • | QF | × | • | QF | 8 |
| Uzbekistan | GS | GS | • | • | 4th | GS | • | QF | 2nd | 1st | QF | QF | • | SF | 1st | 11 | |||||
| Vietnam | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | 4th | GS | GS | GS | • | GS | • | • | QF | GS | GS | GS | 9 |
| Yemen | × | • | • | • | × | × | 2nd | • | GS | DQ | • | GS | • | GS | GS | QF | GS | 7 | |||
| Rank | Team | Part | M | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Points |
| 1 | Japan | 17 | 80 | 49 | 13 | 18 | 197 | 92 | +105 | 160 |
| 2 | South Korea | 16 | 74 | 41 | 14 | 19 | 160 | 77 | +83 | 137 |
| 3 | Iran | 13 | 59 | 30 | 11 | 18 | 111 | 67 | +44 | 101 |
| 4 | China | 16 | 65 | 28 | 17 | 20 | 113 | 85 | +28 | 101 |
| 5 | Qatar | 11 | 49 | 27 | 12 | 10 | 82 | 47 | +35 | 93 |
| 6 | North Korea | 12 | 58 | 24 | 16 | 18 | 95 | 72 | +23 | 88 |
| 7 | Saudi Arabia | 13 | 54 | 25 | 10 | 19 | 90 | 58 | +32 | 85 |
| 8 | Uzbekistan | 11 | 52 | 25 | 10 | 17 | 91 | 96 | −5 | 85 |
| 9 | Oman | 11 | 46 | 20 | 7 | 19 | 79 | 68 | +11 | 67 |
| 10 | Iraq | 10 | 44 | 19 | 9 | 16 | 61 | 49 | +12 | 66 |
| 11 | Australia | 8 | 33 | 18 | 4 | 11 | 66 | 52 | +14 | 58 |
| 12 | Thailand | 13 | 50 | 17 | 7 | 26 | 71 | 84 | −13 | 58 |
| 13 | Bahrain | 7 | 33 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 53 | 46 | +7 | 47 |
| 14 | United Arab Emirates | 8 | 31 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 51 | 52 | –1 | 42 |
| 15 | Syria | 6 | 27 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 39 | 33 | +6 | 39 |
| 16 | Yemen | 8 | 27 | 8 | 6 | 13 | 32 | 39 | −7 | 30 |
| 17 | Tajikistan | 5 | 22 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 28 | 45 | −17 | 28 |
| 18 | Vietnam | 9 | 31 | 6 | 8 | 17 | 35 | 71 | −36 | 26 |
| 19 | India | 9 | 30 | 6 | 7 | 17 | 36 | 68 | −32 | 25 |
| 20 | Indonesia | 8 | 25 | 5 | 5 | 15 | 23 | 59 | −36 | 20 |
| 21 | Malaysia | 6 | 19 | 5 | 2 | 12 | 21 | 41 | −20 | 17 |
| 22 | Kuwait | 6 | 22 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 28 | 50 | −22 | 15 |
| 23 | Bangladesh | 6 | 20 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 16 | 59 | −43 | 12 |
| 24 | Myanmar | 4 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 36 | −24 | 8 |
| 25 | Jordan | 3 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 23 | −15 | 7 |
| 26 | Laos | 3 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 25 | −14 | 6 |
| 27 | Nepal | 3 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 31 | −25 | 5 |
| 28 | Kyrgyzstan | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 11 | −9 | 3 |
| 29 | Afghanistan | 3 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 34 | −30 | 3 |
| 30 | South Yemen | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 2 |
| 31 | Singapore | 2 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 18 | −15 | 2 |
| 32 | Pakistan | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 1 |
| 33 | Hong Kong | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | −6 | 0 |
| 34 | Timor-Leste | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 9 | −8 | 0 |
| 35 | Turkmenistan | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 12 | −11 | 0 |
| Team | 1985 | 1987 | 1989 | 1991 | 1993 | 1995 | 1997 | 1999 | 2001 | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | 2023 | 2025 | Total |
| Australia | OFC member | R2 | R2 | R2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| Bahrain | 4th | GS | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
| China | QF | GS | GS | GS | GS | QF | 6 | ||||||||||||||
| India | GS | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Indonesia | GS | Q | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Iran | GS | R2 | R2 | QF | R2 | 5 | |||||||||||||||
| Iraq | GS | R2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Japan | QF | GS | GS | GS | GS | QF | R2 | R2 | R2 | R2 | Q | 11 | |||||||||
| North Korea | QF | R2 | GS | R2 | GS | Q | 6 | ||||||||||||||
| Oman | 4th | QF | GS | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Qatar | GS | QF | 4th | GS | GS | QF | GS | Q | 8 | ||||||||||||
| Saudi Arabia | QF | GS | 1st | Q | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| South Korea | QF | GS | GS | QF | R2 | QF | GS | Q | 8 | ||||||||||||
| Syria | R2 | GS | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Tajikistan | Part of Soviet Union | R2 | GS | Q | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| Thailand | GS | GS | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
| United Arab Emirates | GS | R2 | GS | Q | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| Uzbekistan | Part of Soviet Union | QF | R2 | QF | Q | 4 | |||||||||||||||
| Yemen | GS | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
References
- "AFC Competitions Committee recommends changes to youth competitions"http://www.the-afc.com/news/afcsection/afc-competitions-committee-recommends-changes-to-youth-competitions
- "AFC rebrands age group championships to AFC Asian Cups"https://www.the-afc.com/competitions/afc-beach-soccer-championship/latest/news/afc-rebrands-age-group-championships-to-afc-asian-cups
- "Pivotal reforms approved by AFC Competitions Committee"https://www.the-afc.com/en/about_afc/cfed/news/pivotal_reforms_approved_by_afc_competitions_committee.html