Home / Sports / Japan Handed Straightforward Path to 2026 Women's Asian Cup Knockout Round
Japan Handed Straightforward Path to 2026 Women's Asian Cup Knockout Round
29 Jul
Summary
- Japan, the top-ranked team in Asia, drawn in an easy group
- China, a nine-time champion, surprisingly seeded second
- Four semifinalists to qualify directly for 2027 Women's World Cup
The draw for the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup, to be hosted by Australia, took place on Tuesday evening. With the seeding based solely on FIFA world rankings, the record nine-time and defending champions China were curiously among the second seeds.
This meant that one of the three top seeds - Australia, Japan, and North Korea - would have to face China in the group stage. Ultimately, it was not Japan, the top-ranked nation in Asia and seventh in the world, who were drawn in Group C alongside Vietnam, Chinese Taipei, and India.
In Group B, a two-way battle for top spot is expected between China and three-time champions North Korea, who dominated the tournament in the 2000s. The other teams in Group B are Uzbekistan, returning to the competition for the first time since 2003, and debutants Bangladesh.
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The four semifinalists of the 2026 Women's Asian Cup will automatically qualify for the 2027 Women's World Cup, while the losing quarterfinalists will compete for the remaining World Cup spots.
