Pakistan U17 Team Gears Up for AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers

Pakistan’s U17 national team is set to begin its campaign for the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026 this November, participating in the qualification round.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is scheduled to conduct the official draw for the qualifying matches on August 7. Pakistan has been placed in Pot 6, which is the lowest seeding group.

The qualification matches are scheduled to take place from November 22 to 30. These games will be hosted across seven nations: India, Thailand, China, Vietnam, Myanmar, Kyrgyz Republic, and Jordan.

A total of 43 teams will be divided into seven groups. Three groups will consist of six teams each, while the remaining four groups will each have five teams.

Pakistan’s position in Pot 6, along with Macau and Sri Lanka, indicates that the team anticipates encountering formidable competition from higher-ranked teams in Pots 1 through 5.

The top-seeded teams in Pot 1 are Oman, Australia, Yemen, Iran, Thailand, China, and Vietnam, all countries recognized for their solid performances in continental competitions.

Pot 2 includes India, Afghanistan, Malaysia, Iraq, Bangladesh, Laos, and Kuwait. Pot 3 consists of Bahrain, Myanmar, the Philippines, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Palestine.

Pot 4 is made up of Syria, Mongolia, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Jordan, Chinese Taipei, and Brunei, while Pot 5 features Nepal, Bhutan, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Maldives, Timor-Leste, and Lebanon.

According to the tournament rules, the winners of each group in addition to the top runners-up will proceed to the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026 finals. Here, Asia’s best young teams will compete for the title.