AFC U-23 Asian Cup facts for kids
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| Organising body | AFC |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2012 (as AFC U-22 Championship) |
| Region | Asia (including Australia) |
| Number of teams | 16 |
| Current champions |  Japan (2nd title) |
| Most successful team(s) | Japan (2 titles) |
The AFC U-23 Asian Cup is a big international football competition. It's for men's national teams from Asia where all players are under 23 years old. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) organizes this exciting tournament every two years.
This cup has had a few names over the years. It started as the AFC U-22 Championship in 2013. Then, from 2016 to 2020, it was called the AFC U-23 Championship. Finally, in 2021, it got its current name, the AFC U-23 Asian Cup.
A really important part of this tournament is that it helps teams qualify for the Olympic Games. If the tournament happens in an even year, the top three teams usually get a direct spot in the Olympics. Sometimes, the fourth-placed team might also get a chance to play in a special play-off match.
The very first tournament was planned for 2013, but it was moved to January 2014. Recently, the AFC announced that from 2028, this tournament will only happen every four years, specifically for Olympic qualification. This means the non-Olympic versions will stop after 2030.
How Does the Tournament Work?
The AFC U-23 Asian Cup brings together the best young football talent in Asia. Here's how it generally works:
- Teams Compete: 16 teams play in the final tournament. The country hosting the event automatically gets a spot.
- Seeding: Teams are ranked based on how they did in the previous tournament. This helps decide which groups they play in.
- Short and Sweet: The whole tournament usually lasts about 18 days.
- Stadiums: It needs about 3 or 4 stadiums, usually in one or two cities, to host all the matches.
Past Winners and Top Teams
The AFC U-23 Asian Cup has seen many exciting matches and champions over the years. Here's a quick look at the tournament names and the teams that have done well.
- Tournament names
- 2013: AFC U-22 Championship
- 2016–2020: AFC U-23 Championship
- 2022–present: AFC U-23 Asian Cup
| Edition | Year | Hosts | Final Match | Third Place Match | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champions | Score | Runners-up | Third Place | Score | Fourth Place | |||||
| 1 | 2013 |  Oman |
 Iraq |
1–0 |  Saudi Arabia |
 Jordan |
0–0 (aet) |  South Korea |
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| 2 | 2016 |  Qatar |
 Japan |
3–2 | South Korea |
Iraq |
2–1 (aet) |  Qatar |
||
| 3 | 2018 |  China |
 Uzbekistan |
2–1 (aet) |  Vietnam |
Qatar |
1–0 | South Korea |
||
| 4 | 2020 |  Thailand |
South Korea |
1–0 (aet) | Saudi Arabia |
 Australia |
1–0 | Uzbekistan |
||
| 5 | 2022 |  Uzbekistan |
Saudi Arabia |
2–0 | Uzbekistan |
Japan |
3–0 | Australia |
||
| 6 | 2024 | Qatar |
Japan |
1–0 | Uzbekistan |
Iraq |
2–1 (aet) |  Indonesia |
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| 7 | 2026 |  Saudi Arabia |
TBD | |||||||
