 | |
| Organising body | AFC |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1985 |
| Region | Asia (including Australia) |
| Number of teams | 16 |
| Current champions |  Japan (4th title) |
| Most successful team(s) | Japan (4 titles) |
 2025 AFC U-17 Asian Cup | |
The AFC U-17 Asian Cup, formerly known as the AFC U-16 Championship and AFC U-17 Championship, is a football competition, organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) held once every two years for Asian under-17 teams that also serves as a qualification tournament for the FIFA U-17 World Cup. The top 4 countries qualify to participate in the FIFA U-17 World Cup. Up to 2000, the tournament was for U-16 teams. Between 2002 and 2006 it was held as an under-17 tournament. Between 2008 and 2020, it was switched back to a U-16 Championship. The AFC has proposed switching back to an under-17 tournament starting from 2023.[1] Moreover, the tournament will also be rebranded from the "AFC U-16 Championship" to the "AFC U-17 Asian Cup".[2]
On 24 May 2024, AFC announced that the tournament will be held annually from 2026.[3]
- ^ "AFC Competitions Committee recommends changes to youth competitions". AFC. 26 November 2018.
- ^ "AFC rebrands age group championships to AFC Asian Cups". AFC. 2 October 2020.
- ^ "Pivotal reforms approved by AFC Competitions Committee". Asian Football Confederation. 24 May 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.