AFC U-23 Asian Cup facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
AFC U-23 Asian Cup

Organising body	AFC
Founded	2012 (as AFC U-22 Championship)
Region	Asia
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 football competition for young male players in Asia. It's organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Teams are made up of players who are 23 years old or younger.

This tournament happens every two years. It's super important because it helps teams qualify for the Olympic Games. The top three teams usually get a direct spot in the Olympics. Sometimes, the fourth-placed team gets a chance to play another match to qualify.

The first tournament was planned for 2013 but happened in January 2014. It was first called the "AFC U-22 Championship." Later, in 2016, it was renamed the "AFC U-23 Championship." In 2021, it got its current name, the "AFC U-23 Asian Cup."

In 2023, the AFC said that the tournaments not linked to the Olympics would be hosted by the same country hosting the main AFC Asian Cup. However, in May 2024, the AFC decided that from 2028, this tournament will only happen every four years. This means the non-Olympic versions will stop after 2030.

How the Tournament Works

Here's a simple look at how the competition is set up:

• 16 teams play in the final tournament. The host country automatically gets a spot.
• Teams are ranked based on how they did in the previous tournament.
• The tournament usually lasts for about 18 days.
• It needs 3 or 4 stadiums in one or two cities to host all the games.

Past Winners

The tournament has had a few different names over the years:

• 2013: AFC U-22 Championship
• 2016–2020: AFC U-23 Championship
• 2022–present: AFC U-23 Asian Cup

Here are the teams that have reached the top four in the tournament:

Edition	Year	Hosts		Final				Third place match
				Champions	Score	Runners-up		Third place	Score	Fourth place
1	2013	Oman		Iraq	1–0	Saudi Arabia		Jordan	0–0 (aet) 3-2 pen	South Korea
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
7	2026	Saudi Arabia		TBD	In Spanish: Copa Asiática Sub-23 de la AFC para niños Football at the Summer Olympics AFC U-20 Asian Cup AFC U-17 Asian Cup AFC Asian Cup