The AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026™ begins on January 27 in Jakarta with 16 teams competing across two venues until February 7, with Afghanistan set to open their Group D campaign against Saudi Arabia on January 28 as defending champions IR Iran, Japan, Thailand and Uzbekistan headline the returning contenders.
Jakarta | By Sayer Zaland
The AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026™ will begin on January 27 in Jakarta, with 16 national teams set to compete for the continental title in the tournament’s 18th edition.
Indonesia will host the competition for the second time after 2002, with matches staged across two venues. The tournament will run until February 7, when the champions will be crowned.
Thirteen teams from the 2024 edition are returning, including the ever-present quartet of IR Iran, Japan, Thailand and Uzbekistan, who have appeared in every Finals to date.
The opening matchday will begin at the Jakarta International Velodrome, where Thailand (FIFA Rank: 11) face Lebanon (54) in Group B at 1:00 pm, followed by Vietnam (20) against Kuwait (40) at 5:00 pm.
At the Indonesia Arena, Group A will start with Iraq (37) playing Kyrgyz Republic (43) at 3:00 pm, before hosts Indonesia (24) meet Korea Republic (57) at 7:00 pm.
Afghanistan, who reached the quarter-finals on their tournament debut in 2024 and qualified for the FIFA Futsal World Cup Uzbekistan 2024, will begin their Group D campaign on January 28 with a 1:00 pm match against Saudi Arabia (45) at the Jakarta International Velodrome.
Reigning champions IR Iran (5) will open their title defence later that day at 5:00 pm against Malaysia (70).
In Group C, Japan (13) will start their campaign on January 28 at 3:00 pm against Australia (51) at the Indonesia Arena, while Uzbekistan (22) will face Tajikistan (47) at 7:00 pm.
The AFC Futsal Asian Cup is Asia’s top futsal tournament, featuring the continent’s leading teams and serving as a major platform for international competition and regional development in the sport.