The draw for the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup finals will be held at 2:00 PM (Vietnam time) on October 2 at the headquarters of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

According to seeding rules, host nation Saudi Arabia automatically enters Pot 1. The remaining 15 teams are assigned to four pots based on their performances in the last three editions of the tournament. The point coefficient is calculated as follows: 100% for the 2024 edition, 50% for 2022, and 25% for 2020.

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U23 Vietnam qualifies for their sixth consecutive AFC U23 Asian Cup finals.

The confirmed seeding pots are:

Pot 1: Saudi Arabia (host), Uzbekistan (1st place), Japan (2nd), Iraq (3rd)
Pot 2: South Korea (5th), Vietnam (6th), Australia (7th), Qatar (8th)
Pot 3: Thailand (9th), Jordan (10th), UAE (11th), Iran (12th)
Pot 4: China (13th), Syria (14th), Kyrgyzstan (15th), Lebanon (16th)

Being in Pot 2 gives U23 Vietnam a strategic advantage during the draw, potentially avoiding several top contenders in the group stage. The 16 participating teams will be divided into four groups. The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals. The tournament final is scheduled for January 25, 2026.

U23 Vietnam secured their place in the finals after defeating Bangladesh 2-0, Singapore 1-0, and Yemen 1-0, finishing atop their group with a perfect 9 points. This marks the sixth consecutive appearance of U23 Vietnam at the AFC U23 Asian Cup finals.

The 2026 edition of the tournament will take place in Saudi Arabia from January 7 to January 25, 2026.

Dai Nam