AFC Women's Asian Cup facts for kids
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| Organising body | AFC |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1975 |
| Region | Asia |
| Number of teams | 12 (finals) 35 (qualifiers) |
| Qualifier for | FIFA Women's World Cup |
| Current champions |  China(9th title) |
| Most successful team(s) | China (9 titles) |
The AFC Women's Asian Cup is a big football tournament for women's national teams in Asia. It happens every four years. This competition is the oldest and most important women's international football event in Asia. It used to be called the AFC Women's Championship.
China PR is the current champion, having won the cup 9 times. For many years, this tournament also helped teams qualify for the FIFA Women's World Cup.
Contents
History of the Tournament
The AFC Women's Asian Cup started in 1975. It was first organized by the Asian Ladies Football Confederation (ALFC). This group later joined the AFC in 1986.
In the early years, from 1975 to 1981, games were 60 minutes long. The tournament was held every two years. Sometimes, in the 1980s, it happened every three years.
Teams from East and Southeast Asia have been very strong in this competition. China has won the cup nine times. They even won seven times in a row! Countries from Central and West Asia have not been as successful. Only a few teams from those regions have qualified.
The tournament changed to happen every four years starting in 2010. This was because it also became the main way for Asian teams to qualify for the FIFA Women's World Cup.
Before 2006, teams were invited to play. But from 2006 onwards, teams had to go through special qualification rounds. The tournament's name also changed to "AFC Women's Asian Cup" to show these new changes.
The number of teams in the final tournament grew from eight to twelve in 2022. The AFC decided in August 2023 to move the tournament to odd years that are not FIFA Women's World Cup years. So, after the 2026 cup, the next one will be in 2029 instead of 2030.
In September 2024, the AFC announced new rules for women's football. From 2031, the Women's Asian Cup will no longer be a World Cup qualifier. Instead, it will help teams qualify for the AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament starting in 2028.
The Amazing Trophy
The AFC Women’s Asian Cup has a beautiful trophy. It was made by a company in London called Thomas Lyte. The trophy was first lifted in Jordan in 2018.
It is made from 5.5 kilograms of silver. It took over 140 hours to create! The trophy is 52.5 centimeters tall. Its design tells the story of the tournament's long history. The handles are made from six solid silver bars. These represent the six countries that played in the very first competition in 1975. The bottom of the trophy shows pictures of eight modern female footballers.
How Teams Qualify
All 47 countries in the AFC that have a women's national team can try to qualify.
For the final tournament, twelve teams play. This includes the host country, the top three teams from the previous cup, and eight teams that win their qualification matches.
Who Reached the Top Four?
This table shows which teams have done really well in the tournament.
| Nation | Champions | Runners-up | Third Place | Fourth Place | Semi-finalists | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China |
9 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 15 |
 North Korea |
3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
.svg){kind=small} Chinese Taipei |
3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9 |
 Japan |
2 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 15 |
.svg){kind=small} Australia |
1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
 Thailand |
1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
 New Zealand |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 India |
0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
 South Korea |
0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
 Hong Kong |
0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
 Malaysia |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
 Singapore |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
 Indonesia |
0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
 Philippines |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 20 | 20 | 21 | 17 | 2 | 80 |
Awards and Top Players
Many talented players have won awards at the AFC Women's Asian Cup. These awards celebrate the best players, top goal scorers, and fair play.
| Year | Most Valuable Player | Top Scorer | Goals | Best goalkeeper | Fairplay Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 |  Ma Xiaoxu |
 Yūki Nagasato Jung Jung-suk |
7 | Not awarded | China |
| 2008 | Homare Sawa |
 Ri Kum-suk |
7 | Japan |
|
| 2010 | Jo Yun-mi |
Kozue Ando Homare Sawa Jo Yun-mi Yoo Young-a |
3 | China |
|
| 2014 | Aya Miyama |
Yang Li Park Eun-sun |
6 | Japan |
|
| 2018 | Mana Iwabuchi |
Li Ying |
7 | Japan |
|
| 2022 | Wang Shanshan |
 Sam Kerr |
7 | Zhu Yu |
South Korea |
| 2026 | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Winning Coaches
Here are the coaches who led their teams to victory in the AFC Women's Asian Cup.
| Year | Team | Coach |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | New Zealand |
 Dave Farrington |
| 1977 |  Republic of China |
 Liu Jun-tse |
| 1980 | Republic of China |
Chang Teng-yun |
| 1981 | Mulan Taipei |
Kao Yong |
| 1983 | Thailand |
 Fuengwit Thongpramul |
| 1986 | China |
Cong Zheyu |
| 1989 | China |
Shang Ruihua |
| 1991 | China |
Shang Ruihua |
| 1993 | China |
Ma Yuanan |
| 1995 | China |
Ma Yuanan |
| 1997 | China |
Ma Yuanan |
| 1999 | China |
Ma Yuanan |
| 2001 | North Korea |
Ri Song-gun |
| 2003 | North Korea |
Ri Song-gun |
| 2006 | China |
Ma Liangxing |
| 2008 | North Korea |
Kim Kwang-min |
| 2010 | Australia |
 Tom Sermanni |
| 2014 | Japan |
Norio Sasaki |
| 2018 | Japan |
Asako Takakura |
| 2022 | China |
Shui Qingxia |
| 2026 | TBD | TBD |
More About Women's Football
- AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification
- AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament
- AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup
- AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup
- Football at the Asian Games
- AFF Women's Championship
- CAFA Women's Championship
- EAFF E-1 Football Championship (women)
- SAFF Women's Championship
- WAFF Women's Championship
See also
In Spanish: Copa Asiática Femenina de la AFC para niños
