AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers draw to take place on Thursday

IANS June 23, 2025 454 views

The AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers draw will take place on June 26 in Kuala Lumpur. India is placed in Pot 4 alongside Bangladesh and Pakistan, who are making their debuts. For the first time, seeding is based on FIFA Futsal rankings. The tournament will feature 31 teams vying for 15 spots alongside host Indonesia.

"For the first time, the seeding for the draw will be based on the latest FIFA Futsal Men’s World Ranking." - AFC
Kuala Lumpur, June 23: The road to the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026 will be revealed on June 26, when the official Qualifiers draw ceremony takes place at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Key Points

1

31 teams compete in 8 groups for AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026

2

India placed in Pot 4 alongside Bangladesh and Pakistan

3

Indonesia qualifies automatically as hosts

4

Iran, Japan, Thailand, Uzbekistan aim for perfect attendance

A total of 31 teams have confirmed their participation in the 11th Qualifiers, which will take place between September 20 to 24. The draw will divide them into eight groups - seven groups of four and one group of three - with each to be played in a centralised league format.India, ranked 135, will be in Pot 4 alongside Hong Kong, China (118), Brunei Darussalam (119), Palestine (121), Cambodia (125), Bangladesh (unranked) and Pakistan (unranked).Staging the Continental showpiece for a second time following their first in 2002, Indonesia have qualified automatically and will be joined by 15 sides - the eight group winners and the seven best-ranked runners-up from the Qualifiers - at the 18th edition of the Finals, which is scheduled to commence next January.Bangladesh and Pakistan are set to make their Qualifiers debuts while the quartet of Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Thailand, and Uzbekistan will aim to maintain their record of appearing at every edition to date.For the first time, the seeding for the draw will be based on the latest FIFA Futsal Men’s World Ranking. The cast will be split into four pots, along with an additional Hosts Pot. The pot allocations, based on the FIFA rankings as of April 4 indicated in brackets, are as follows:

Pot 1: Islamic Republic of Iran (5), Thailand (11), Japan (13), Uzbekistan (23), Vietnam (31), Afghanistan (33), Kuwait (40), Iraq (41)

Pot 2: Tajikistan (44), Kyrgyz Republic (48), Saudi Arabia (50), Australia (52), Lebanon (53), Myanmar (56), Korea Republic (70), Malaysia (76)

Pot 3: China PR (79), Chinese Taipei (82), Bahrain (83), United Arab Emirates (97), Maldives (106), Timor-Leste (109), Mongolia (112), Macau (115)

Pot 4: Hong Kong, China (118), Brunei Darussalam (119), Palestine (121), Cambodia (125), India (135), Bangladesh (unranked), Pakistan (unranked)

Hosts Pot: Thailand (11; Seeding: 1), Kuwait (40; 1), Tajikistan (44; 2), Kyrgyz Republic (48; 2), Saudi Arabia (50; 2), Myanmar (56; 2), Malaysia (76; 2), China PR (79; 3)

Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
Exciting to see India participating! Though ranked low, our futsal team has potential. Hope we get a favorable group draw - maybe with Bangladesh or Pakistan for some exciting subcontinental matches. 🇮🇳⚽
P
Priya M.
Our ranking at 135 is disappointing considering India's population and football passion. We need better grassroots development programs for futsal too, not just regular football. Hope this tournament brings more attention to the sport!
A
Arjun S.
Interesting to see Bangladesh and Pakistan making their debut. Would love to see more SAARC nations compete at higher levels. Maybe one day we'll have a South Asian futsal championship too!
S
Sunita R.
Futsal is such an exciting format! Faster than football and perfect for Indian conditions where space is limited. Hope broadcasters show these qualifiers - would love to watch our team play.
V
Vikram J.
The ranking gap between India and teams like Iran (5) shows how far we have to go. But every journey begins with participation. Let's support our boys regardless of results - they're representing the tricolor after all!
N
Neha P.
Good to see FIFA rankings being used for seeding this time. More transparency is always welcome in Asian football. Wishing our team the best - hope they can cause an upset or two! 🤞

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AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers India football Indonesia Iran futsal Pakistan debut