About AFC U-20 Asian Cup

History, Format, Organization, Media Coverage

The AFC U-20 Asian Cup, formerly known as the AFC U-19 Championship, is a biennial continental competition for the under-20 men's national teams of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) members. Founded in 1959, this tournament was previously called the AFC Youth Championship and was an under-19 event until 2023, when the age limit was raised and the name was changed.

Initially held annually for its first two decades, the competition now takes place every two years, featuring a total of 16 teams. The host nation is guaranteed a spot, although it may enter the qualifiers, while other participants must go through a qualifying tournament to secure their place.

During the group stage, teams are divided into four groups of four, with the top two from each group advancing to the knockout round. This stage follows a single round-robin format, where each team faces every other side in their group once.

The knockout round consists of one-legged quarterfinals, semifinals, and a final. If a match ends in a draw after regulation time, extra time and, if necessary, penalty shootouts are utilized to determine the winner.

The AFC U-20 Asian Cup also serves as Asia’s qualifier for the FIFA U-20 World Cup, with the top four teams (the semifinalists) qualifying for the latter competition.

The first two editions of the AFC U-20 Asian Cup took place in Malaya, where the hosts reached the final but lost to South Korea on both occasions. South Korea has since dominated the tournament, winning an additional 10 titles before the 40th edition of this competition. Myanmar has also enjoyed notable success, as did Israel during their time as an AFC member association.