Asian Football Confederation (AFC) organises youth tournaments for different age groups as the teams within the asian continent can compete against each other. The main reason for having this kind of tournament is to prepare the young guns for the world stage. It began in 1985. Earlier, it was called the AFC U16 Championship; later in 2023, it was changed to the AFC U17 Asian Cup. When we talk about the past winners of the AFC U17 Asia Cup, you just can’t rule out Japan. A total of 16 teams play in the tournament.
Japan, over the years, has proved to be one of the best Asian sides in world football, along with South Korea. Recently, when we talk about the youth, teams like Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, and Iran are showing promising new talent coming up. India also hosted the tournament once in 2016; the future seems bright if we invest more in our infrastructure.
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Eyes sharp, instincts ready! 👀 Can you crack the challenge and spot the ball? 🔍⚽#AFCU17 pic.twitter.com/wlvSemDlbR
— #AsianQualifiers (@afcasiancup) April 9, 2025
AFC U17 Asia Cup Winners: Champions, Runner-up, Final Scores
Here are the complete details about Past Winners of the AFC U17 Asia Cup: Champions, Runner-up, Final Scores, Host Country, Year and edition.
| Year | Edition | Winner | Runner-up | Host Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 20th | Japan | South Korea | Thailand |
| 2020 | 19th | — (Cancelled) | — | Bahrain |
| 2018 | 18th | Japan | Tajikistan | Malaysia |
| 2016 | 17th | Iraq | Iran | India |
| 2014 | 16th | North Korea | South Korea | Thailand |
| 2012 | 15th | Uzbekistan | Japan | Iran |
| 2010 | 14th | North Korea | Uzbekistan | Uzbekistan |
| 2008 | 13th | Iran | South Korea | Uzbekistan |
| 2006 | 12th | Japan | South Korea | Singapore |
| 2004 | 11th | China | North Korea | Japan |
| 2002 | 10th | South Korea | Yemen | UAE |
| 2000 | 9th | Japan | Iraq | Vietnam |
| 1998 | 8th | South Korea | Bahrain | Qatar |
| 1996 | 7th | Oman | Thailand | Thailand |
| 1994 | 6th | Japan | China | Qatar |
| 1992 | 5th | Oman | Qatar | Saudi Arabia |
| 1990 | 4th | China | North Korea | UAE |
| 1988 | 3rd | Saudi Arabia | Bahrain | Thailand |
| 1986 | 2nd | South Korea | Saudi Arabia | Qatar |
| 1985 | 1st | Saudi Arabia | Qatar | Qatar |
Japan has won the competition a record 4 times since its start. They are also the defending champions, winning the championship in 2023. Second to them is South Korea, which has won the competition 3 times
At this point, we can say Japan, South Korea, and Australia are the competitive teams at the international level. Also, the four best teams of the tournament get automatic qualification for the U17 FIFA World Cup.
The 2025 AFC Asian Cup is going to be hosted by Saudi Arabia. The dates are 3rd April to 20th April.
