AFC Women's Asian Cup

About AFC Women's Asian Cup

History, Format, Organization, Media Coverage

The AFC Women's Asian Cup, previously known as the AFC Women's Championship, is the premier continental competition for the women’s national teams of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) member associations. Founded in 1975, it is the oldest international women’s football tournament and is held every four years.

Previously staged in even-numbered years, the AFC Women’s Asian Cup decided to switch to non-FIFA Women's World Cup odd-numbered years from 2029 onwards. The tournament takes place in the first five months of the calendar year, featuring 12 teams. The host nation is guaranteed automatic qualification, while the three best-performing teams from the previous edition (the champion, runner-up, and third place) also secure a spot. The remaining countries must go through a qualifying tournament open to all AFC members.

The 12 participants are divided into three groups of four, with each team playing every other side in their group once in a single round-robin format. The top two teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals, along with the two best-ranked third-placed teams.

The knockout stage follows a single-elimination format, consisting of the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final, all played as single-leg matches. If a knockout-stage fixture ends in a draw after normal time, extra time and, if necessary, penalty shootouts are used to determine the winner.

The AFC Women’s Asian Cup began functioning as the continent’s FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament in 2015. However, the AFC decided to end this arrangement following the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, with a standalone FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament replacing it. Initially founded by the Asian Ladies Football Confederation (ALFC) in 1975, the tournament also started as a biennial event before transitioning to a quadrennial format in 2010.

In the inaugural final, Thailand contested New Zealand, with the latter winning the 1975 title. Chinese Taipei then claimed victory in the next three editions. The China women’s national team solidified its status as a powerhouse by winning seven consecutive titles from 1986 to 1999, alongside successes by Japan and North Korea.