# 2027 AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup
The 2027 AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup is the 11th edition of the AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup, the international youth football championship organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for the women's under-17 national teams of Asia, to be hosted by China PR.[1](https://www.the-afc.com/en/national/afc_u17_womens_asian_cup.html/news/u17wac-qualifiers-cast-sets-sights-china-2027) • [2](https://www.the-afc.com/en/national/afc_u17_womens_asian_cup.html/news/u17wac-china-2027-cast-finalised) The lineup of twelve teams was finalized when the Qualifiers concluded on 11 October 2026.[2](https://www.the-afc.com/en/national/afc_u17_womens_asian_cup.html/news/u17wac-china-2027-cast-finalised)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Edition | 11th edition of the competition, including its previous names AFC U-17 Women's Championship and AFC U-16 Women's Championship[1](https://www.the-afc.com/en/national/afc_u17_womens_asian_cup.html/news/u17wac-qualifiers-cast-sets-sights-china-2027) |
| Host | China PR[2](https://www.the-afc.com/en/national/afc_u17_womens_asian_cup.html/news/u17wac-china-2027-cast-finalised) |
| Qualifiers | 5 to 11 October 2026, a single round-robin centralized league in eight groups (six of four teams, two of three)[3](https://www.the-afc.com/en/national/afc_u17_womens_asian_cup.html/news/u17wac-stage-set-for-china-2027-qualifiers) |
| Qualifying teams | The eight group winners only[2](https://www.the-afc.com/en/national/afc_u17_womens_asian_cup.html/news/u17wac-china-2027-cast-finalised) |
| Direct entrants | DPR Korea (defending champions), Japan (runners-up), Australia and China PR (semi-finalists) as the top four finishers of the 2026 edition[2](https://www.the-afc.com/en/national/afc_u17_womens_asian_cup.html/news/u17wac-china-2027-cast-finalised) |
| Defending champions | DPR Korea, who beat Japan 5-1 in the 2026 final in Suzhou for a record fifth title[1](https://www.the-afc.com/en/national/afc_u17_womens_asian_cup.html/news/u17wac-qualifiers-cast-sets-sights-china-2027) |
## Qualifying competition
**Draw and format.** The Qualifiers Draw took place at AFC House in [Kuala Lumpur](https://www.edgepedia.org/kuala-lumpur), Malaysia, on Thursday, 16 July 2026. The entrants were divided into eight groups, six of four teams and two of three, to contest a single round-robin centralized league from 5 to 11 October 2026.[3](https://www.the-afc.com/en/national/afc_u17_womens_asian_cup.html/news/u17wac-stage-set-for-china-2027-qualifiers) AFC reporting gives the entry as a record field: one article describes 30 teams, two more than the previous record of 28 from the 2019 Qualifiers, while another describes a cast of 29, one more than the previous high of 28.[3](https://www.the-afc.com/en/national/afc_u17_womens_asian_cup.html/news/u17wac-stage-set-for-china-2027-qualifiers) • [1](https://www.the-afc.com/en/national/afc_u17_womens_asian_cup.html/news/u17wac-qualifiers-cast-sets-sights-china-2027)
**Advancement.** Only the eight group winners advanced, with no runners-up places available. Four sides had already earned their spots by finishing first through fourth at the 2026 edition, namely title holders DPR Korea, beaten finalists Japan, and the semi-finalists Australia and China PR, and the newcomers linked up with this group.[2](https://www.the-afc.com/en/national/afc_u17_womens_asian_cup.html/news/u17wac-china-2027-cast-finalised)
## Background: the 2026 edition
The 2027 Finals follow a 2026 tournament that was itself hosted by China PR, for the fourth occasion, and ran from 1 to 17 May 2026 in an expanded field of twelve teams, up from eight.[4](https://assets.the-afc.com/AFC_Congress/2026/36th-AFC-Congress-2026---Activity-Report.pdf) DPR Korea retained the trophy with a 5-1 win against Japan at Suzhou Sports Centre Stadium, moving past Japan to a record-setting fifth title. Forward Yu Jong Hyang scored four times in the final to finish with 15 tournament goals and took both the Most Valuable Player and Top Goalscorer awards.[1](https://www.the-afc.com/en/national/afc_u17_womens_asian_cup.html/news/u17wac-qualifiers-cast-sets-sights-china-2027)
## Competition regulations
The AFC has issued combined Competition Regulations covering the 2027 and 2028 editions. They define the [Competition](https://www.edgepedia.org/competition) as consisting of the Qualifiers and the Finals, with the Finals split into a Group Stage and a Knockout Stage, and cover matters including player eligibility and registration, stadiums, media access, medical and anti-doping provisions, and disciplinary procedures.[5](https://assets.the-afc.com/downloads/tournament-regulations/AFC-U17-Asian-Cup-2027-%26-2028-Competitions-Regulations---Apr10upd.pdf)
## References
1. [AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup China 2027: Qualifiers cast sets sights on China 2027, the-AFC.com](https://www.the-afc.com/en/national/afc_u17_womens_asian_cup.html/news/u17wac-qualifiers-cast-sets-sights-china-2027)
2. [AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup: China 2027 cast finalised, the-AFC.com](https://www.the-afc.com/en/national/afc_u17_womens_asian_cup.html/news/u17wac-china-2027-cast-finalised)
3. [AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup: Stage set for China 2027 Qualifiers, the-AFC.com](https://www.the-afc.com/en/national/afc_u17_womens_asian_cup.html/news/u17wac-stage-set-for-china-2027-qualifiers)
4. [AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup China 2026 Qualifiers, 36th AFC Congress 2026 Activity Report](https://assets.the-afc.com/AFC_Congress/2026/36th-AFC-Congress-2026---Activity-Report.pdf)
5. [AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup 2027 and 2028 Competition Regulations](https://assets.the-afc.com/downloads/tournament-regulations/AFC-U17-Asian-Cup-2027-%26-2028-Competitions-Regulations---Apr10upd.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football competitions and records › Seasons and editions › Women's football seasons*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license