Which teams have qualified for AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026?

Australia will host the upcoming edition of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026

The premier competition of Asian football, the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026, is slated to take place in Australia next year. A lot of teams have gone through a rigorous and competitive process in the Qualifiers to reserve their berth in this prestigious battle of the best.

The AFC Women’s Asian Cup is also an opportunity for budding talents from Asia to showcase their talent and skills on a continental stage. A total of 12 teams will be en route to the Great Southern Land next year to battle it out to become the champions of Asia.

In this feature article, we shall take a close look at the teams that have already qualified for the Women’s Asian Cup 2026. Some of them are historical champions, while a few have made it to the elite competition for the first time ever.

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Also Read: India in Pot 4 of AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 draw; know potential opponents

Teams qualified for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026

1. Australia (Hosts)

Hosts Australia automatically qualified for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 after the AFC nullified bids from Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan to declare Australia as the next hosts of the competition. They have previously won the tournament back in 2010 after defeating North Korea in the Finals.

They are ranked 15th in the recent FIFA rankings. They faced heartbreak in the last edition after South Korea handed them a slender defeat in the quarter-finals to end their continental journey. They are expected to be serious contenders this time, and they will also have the local support serving as their 12th man.

2. China

Unarguably, the most successful team in the history of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, China, qualified for the next edition by virtue of being the reigning champions. They won the competition in the last edition after defeating South Korea in the Finals.

They are currently ranked 17th in the latest FIFA rankings. The nine-time champions have got what it takes to retain their pride and honour in Asia, and anything less than a semi-final appearance could be a big disappointment for the Chinese girls.

3. South Korea

The bursting of firecrackers and rolling of drumbeats must have started in Seoul after South Korea were leading 2-0 against China in the Finals of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022. They were just 45 minutes away from lifting their first-ever AFC Asian Cup trophy.

Their hopes soon turned into their worst nightmares after China netted thrice in the second half, including a 93rd-minute stoppage-time winner from Xiao Yuyi. South Korea enters this competition as a wounded lioness, who would be keen to turn their silver medals into gold in the upcoming edition.

4. Japan

Japan’s hopes of making it to the finals of the AFC Asian Cup 2022 were demolished after China got the better of them in the penalty shootout. They qualified in the next edition by being the bronze medalists in the previous edition.

Currently, they are the highest-ranked team in Asia. The two-time champions would be keen to win their third title in the upcoming edition of the Asian Cup in Australia.

5. India (Group B)

Crispin Chhetri’s girl made history after the Blue Tigress qualified for the AFC Asian Cup 2026 after a long wait of 23 years. They scored 24 goals in the entire qualifier round and conceded a single goal. The Women in Blue marked a new chapter in Indian football.

They convincingly defeated opponents like Mongolia, Timor Leste, and Iraq before clinching that hard-fought win against host Thailand. A long camp of over 50 days had a positive impact on the team’s preparation, as the Indian girls had sufficient time to hone their skills and rectify their mistakes.

Also Read: Sangita Basfore eyes FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 berth after firing India to AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026

6. Bangladesh (Group C)

Bangladesh became the first team to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup 2026 after going through the qualifiers. They won all the games in the group stage fixtures to etch their names in golden letters by qualifying for Asia’s premier competition for the first time in history.

They also caused a major upset by toppling hosts Myanmar to secure a perfect 100% winning accuracy in the qualifiers. Peter James Butler’s girls would be keen to make their maiden edition at the AFC Asian Cup a memorable one and an experience worth cherishing for a lifetime.

The Bangla tigress also got the better of teams like Bahrain and Turkmenistan to emerge as the table toppers of Group C.

7. Chinese Taipei (Group D)

It all boiled down to the final matchweek of the qualifiers in Group D as three teams were in contention to grab that coveted spot in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup. While Indonesia and Pakistan saw mixed results, Chinese Taipei consistently delivered a strong performance to emerge as the table toppers of Group D.

They scored 13 goals and conceded merely a solitary goal to become the invincible group winners. Head coach Chan Hiu Ming would be keen to return to the old golden days as Chinese Taipei have previously won the tournament thrice, but all the silverware in the twentieth century.

8. Vietnam (Group E)

Group E hosts Vietnam have qualified for the AFC Asian Cup 2026 after emerging as the table toppers. In a group that consisted of teams like the UAE, Guam and the Maldives, Vietnam managed to win all three games and qualify for the Asian Cup.

They have previously made it to the quarter-finals twice in this competition and would be keen to break into that semi-final ceiling in the upcoming edition.

9. Uzbekistan (Group F)

Similar to India, the Uzbek girls have qualified for the AFC Asian Cup after a long wait of 23 years. After their bid to host the tournament got rejected, they shifted their focus to perform well in the qualifiers. They had a decent campaign in the qualifiers and were lucky to get that coveted spot.

Despite being level on points and goal difference with second-placed Nepal, they managed to beat them in penalties to secure that vital spot in the AFC Asian Cup 2026. They also won their previous two fixtures against Nepal and Laos.

10. Philippines (Group G)

The Philippines shocked the footballing world in the last edition after they made it to the semi-finals of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022. Their heroics completely changed the trajectory of the Southeast Asian nation as they are set to make back-to-back appearances in the AFC Asian Cup.

They defeated hosts Cambodia, Hong Kong, and Saudi Arabia to emerge as the undisputed winners of Group G and qualify for the next edition of the AFC Asian Cup in Australia. They are expected to enter the competition as the dark horses.

11. North Korea (Group H)

They are the second-highest-ranked team in Asia currently and have previously won the competition thrice. Their most recent silverware was back in 2008 after they edged past China to win the competition. They have shown clear dominance in the qualifiers after they netted 26 goals and conceded none in just three games.

They were placed alongside Malaysia, Palestine, and Tajikistan, and they thrashed every single team and crossed the double-digit score twice in three games, making it a cakewalk entry for them in the AFC Asian Cup.

12. NA (Group A)

The AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 qualifier matches of Group A were postponed and will be played between 7th July and 19th July. This group consists of five teams—hosts Jordan, Bhutan, Iran, Singapore, and Lebanon. The table toppers of Group A will secure the final spot in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026.

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