India entered a tough Group B alongside Japan, Australia and Lebanon in the AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup 2026 in China.
India qualified for the tournament for the first time in 21 years after defeating the Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan. The team will begin its campaign against Australia, followed by matches against Japan and Lebanon.
The tournament will run from May 1 to May 17 in Suzhou, with matches scheduled at the Suzhou Sports Centre Stadium and Suzhou Taihu Football Sports Centre. Japan, four-time champions and runners-up in 2024, automatically qualified. They also hold a strong record as FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup winners in 2014 and runners-up in 2010 and 2016.
Australia qualified after victories over Singapore and Northern Mariana Islands, though they exited in the group stage of the 2024 edition. Lebanon will make their debut, earning a spot with wins over Kuwait and IR Iran.
Group A features hosts China, Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar. Group C includes DPR Korea, Korea Republic, Philippines and Chinese Taipei. The top two teams from each group, along with the two best third-placed sides, will advance to the quarter-finals.
The four semi-finalists will secure qualification for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2026. DPR Korea currently hold the title. India’s challenge in Group B highlights both the difficulty of the draw and the opportunity to make history in Suzhou.
