The path to the AFC Futsal Asian Cup™ Indonesia 2026 will officially kick off on Thursday, June 26, 2025, when the Qualifiers draw is held at 3pm (local time) at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
A total of 31 teams will be drawn into eight groups—seven groups of four and one group of three—for the Qualifiers, scheduled to take place September 20–24 in a centralised league format. The top two from each group—eight group winners and the seven best runners-up—will join host nation Indonesia, who qualify automatically, in the 18th edition of the Finals kicking off in January 2026.
Bangladesh and Pakistan are set to make their Qualifiers debut, while Iran, Japan, Thailand, and Uzbekistan aim to extend their perfect appearance record at every edition since the tournament's inception.
In a first for the competition, seeding will be determined by the FIFA Futsal Men’s World Ranking (as of April 4, 2025). Teams will be split into four pots, plus an additional Hosts Pot:
🏆 Pot Allocation (FIFA Rankings)
Pot 1:
Iran (5), Thailand (11), Japan (13), Uzbekistan (23), Vietnam (31), Afghanistan (33), Kuwait (40), Iraq (41)
Pot 2:
Tajikistan (44), Kyrgyz Republic (48), Saudi Arabia (50), Australia (52), Lebanon (53), Myanmar (56), Korea Republic (70), Malaysia (76)
Pot 3:
China PR (79), Chinese Taipei (82), Bahrain (83), UAE (97), Maldives (106), Timor-Leste (109), Mongolia (112), Macau (115)
Pot 4:
Hong Kong, China (118), Brunei Darussalam (119), Palestine (121), Cambodia (125), India (135), Bangladesh (unranked), Pakistan (unranked)
Hosts Pot:
Thailand (11, Seed 1), Kuwait (40, 1), Tajikistan (44, 2), Kyrgyz Republic (48, 2), Saudi Arabia (50, 2), Myanmar (56, 2), Malaysia (76, 2), China PR (79, 3)
Stay tuned to AFC channels and watch the draw live on June 26 at 3pm as the journey to continental glory begins.