Kuala lumpur: The 38 teams hoping to see action at the AFC U-17 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 learnt their respective qualifying routes on Thursday. The Official Draw at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, divided the teams into seven groups, three comprising six teams each and four with five teams.

According to Qatar News Agency, Group A will feature hosts China PR, alongside Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam, Timor-Leste, and Sri Lanka. In Group B, 2002 runners-up Yemen will compete with Laos, hosts Kyrgyz Republic, Cambodia, Guam, and Pakistan.

Group C will see hosts Vietnam battling against Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Northern Mariana Islands, and Macau. Group D includes 2008 winners Islamic Republic of Iran, hosts India, Palestine, Chinese Taipei, and Lebanon.

Australia leads Group E, facing challenges from 2016 winners Iraq, Philippines, hosts Jordan, and Bhutan. Thailand, Kuwait, Turkmenistan, Mongolia, and Maldives will compete in Group F, aiming for the automatic spot.

Group G features two-time winners Oman, Afghanistan, hosts Myanmar, Syria, and Nepal. The Qualifiers will be contested in a single round-robin centralised league format from November 22 to 30, 2025.

All group winners will progress to the 21st edition of the Finals. They will join the nine AFC representatives from the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 who have automatically qualified: Qatar, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Korea Republic, DPR Korea, Japan, Tajikistan, United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia.