The qualification round will feature 44 teams divided into 11 groups of four, competing from September 1 to 11 for the remaining 15 spots in the final tournament. Each group will play in a single round-robin format at one centralized venue. The 11 group winners and the four best runners-up will advance to the final round, which is set to take place in Saudi Arabia in January 2026.

According to the AFC, India will play all of their qualifying matches in Doha, Qatar. Other host nations for the qualifiers include Jordan (Group A), Myanmar (Group B), Vietnam (Group C), China (Group D), Kyrgyzstan (Group E), Thailand (Group F), Cambodia (Group G), the United Arab Emirates (Group I), Indonesia (Group J), and Tajikistan (Group K).

Japan are the defending champions, having edged Uzbekistan 1-0 in the final of the 2024 edition.

In preparation for the qualifiers, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and head coach Kim Sang-sik have laid out detailed plans. Several U23 players have been included in the national team squad during recent FIFA Days, while U22 teams have also been given opportunities to compete in international tournaments. Notably, Vietnam participated in the 2025 CFA Team China international friendly tournament in March, which draw strong opponents such as Uzbekistan, the Republic of Korea, and host nation China.

Vietnam in favourable group for U20 Women’s Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers

VOV.VN - Vietnam have been handed a relatively favourable draw for the qualification round of the 2026 AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup, following a lucky draw held in Malaysia on April 28.