Football Asia – Inside World Football

Zipporah to perform newly-unveiled AFC Women’s Asian Cup anthem

Andy Elliott — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 11:35:20 +0000

February 24 – With kickoff fast approaching, the AFC Women’s Asian Cup has moved to add another layer to the build-up, unveiling the tournament’s first-ever official anthem.

Titled ‘That’s How We Win’, the track has been developed by opening ceremony music director Joel Farland alongside Australian songwriter and producer Nat Dunn – who looked to blend percussive elements with instrumentation influenced by cultures across Asia, to reflect the tournament’s continental scope.

It will be performed live at the opening ceremony at Perth Stadium on March 1 by Australian R&B artist Zipporah,

Aussies mark week to go to Women’s Asian Cup with giant illuminated ball and drone show

Paul Nicholson — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 03:11:45 +0000

February 23 – There is always a moment, just before a major tournament begins, when the host city decides to lean in. On Saturday night, in western Sydney, that moment arrived in spectacular style.

With the opening match of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup set for this coming Saturday, host city Sydney marked one week until kick-off, with two public activations, staged across Parramatta and Darling Harbour.

Saturday’s festivities saw a four-metre inflatable football installed and illuminated on the Parramatta River,

Japan’s J1 League to bring in penalty shoot-outs for transition season

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 10:40:58 +0000

February 20 – As Japan’s J1 League’s 2026 begins the transition to aligning its football calendar with the rest of the world, it is tinkering with one of football’s oldest results, the draw.

During this season, matches will no longer end level. If scores are tied after 90 minutes, the game will move straight to a penalty shootout to decide a winner.

Three points will still be awarded for a regulation win,

Whoop agrees Al Nasser performance partnership

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 08:38:53 +0000

February 20 – Whoop has agreed a global partnership with Al Nassr FC, becoming the club’s exclusive fitness, performance and health wearable technology partner through the end of the 2026 Saudi Pro League season.

The deal covers the men’s first team and will see WHOOP’s monitoring devices integrated into daily training and recovery programmes. The two organisations also plan to produce digital content offering supporters insight into performance data and preparation processes.

The agreement formalises what had already been happening at player level.

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AFC and UEFA collab on Girls’ Grassroots Participation workshop

Andy Elliott — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 13:15:06 +0000

February 19 – UEFA has collaborated with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on a Girls’ Grassroots Participation and Coach Education workshop in Kuala Lumpur, strengthening the two bodies’ collaboration on the development of the women’s game.

Staged last week as part of the AFC-UEFA Women’s Football Programme, the workshop brought together representatives from selected Member Associations (MAs) to share experiences and fine-tune grassroots strategies aimed at widening access to the game for young girls across Asia,

Sony to broadcast Indian Super League

Andy Elliott — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 08:49:49 +0000

February 17 – The future of the Indian Super League (ISL) looked grim until streaming service FanCode stepped in to purchase the media rights earlier this month. With that deal locked down, the platform has now sublicensed the linear TV rights to one of the giants in the region, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI).

The ISL has been suspended since July, when Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the operator and commercial partner of the competition,

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Women’s Asian Cup host cities to feature Health Hubs

Paul Nicholson — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 05:57:18 +0000

February 16 – The AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 will expand its matchday offer beyond the pitch with the launch of dedicated Health Hubs at stadium precincts across Sydney, Perth and the Gold Coast.

Running from March 1, the tournament will bring together 12 national teams for Asia’s top-level women’s competition. Alongside the football programme, the AFC have confirmed that Fan Activation Zones will incorporate Health Hubs designed to integrate wellbeing, education and community engagement into the supporter experience.

Iran beat Indonesia in penalty shoot-out to win 14th Futsal Asian Cup

Paul Nicholson — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 07:25:59 +0000

February 11 – Iran kept up their remarkable dominance of Asian Futsal with their 14th title last weekend, beating hosts Indonesia in the Asian Cup 2026 final.

It was the 18th edition of the Asian Futsal Cup.

The Iranians had to come back three times from being behind the Indonesians in front of their raucous and passionate support. The match ended 5-5.

With nerves frayed tension in the Indonesia Arena in Jakarta reaching almost unbearable levels,

FIFPRO press for equal prize money at 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup

Andy Elliott — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 11:34:58 +0000

February 10 – Women’s football in Asia is staring at a moment of rare leverage – and the players know it.
New research released by FIFPRO Asia/Oceania suggests the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup could generate as much as USD $82.4 million in revenue, a figure that would make it the most commercially successful edition of the tournament to date.

The finding sharpens an uncomfortable contradiction: a competition with genuine commercial upside is still offering prize money and conditions that lag well behind global standards –

Ronaldo ends feud with Al-Nassr

Andy Elliott — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 10:46:09 +0000

February 10 – Cristiano Ronaldo’s brief standoff with Al-Nassr appears to have ended, with the club moving to steady relations after what amounted to a calculated show of leverage from their most powerful figure.
The 41-year-old sat out two consecutive matches despite continuing to train – an absence that was impossible to ignore given the player’s weekly salary ofaround £450,000.

Ronaldo’s frustration had been growing over Al-Nassr’s financial hibernation during the January transfer window,

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AFC unveils bidders for 2035 Asian Cup hosting alongside 2031 host candidates

Paul Nicholson — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 05:21:08 +0000

February 4 – The Asian Football Confederation has closed the initial bidding process for the 2035 AFC Asian Cup. Final host selection will run in parallel with the decision on the 2031 edition.

The move follows a proposal by AFC president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa to take both tournaments to a single Congress for approval.

Salman argued it offers long-term certainty around hosting rights, infrastructure planning and commercial alignment across its most important national team competition.

Chinese FA crackdown hits clubs with points deductions and fines for match-fixing and corruption

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 04:18:07 +0000

January 30 – Nine clubs will begin the new Chinese Super League (CSL) season with points deductions after the latest round of sanctions stemming from investigations into match-fixing, gambling and corruption.

This is another major blow to the domestic game that has spent the better part of a decade battling credibility issues.

Shanghai Shenhua, last season’s runners-up, and Tianjin Tigers received the heaviest penalties, each docked 10 points before a ball is even kicked.

AFC completes ACFAM educational programme in Indonesia

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 02:20:42 +0000

January 30 – The Asian Football Confederation has graduated the latest cohort of its AFC Certificate in Football Administration and Management (ACFAM) programme, with 10 participants completing the hybrid course in Indonesia as part of the Garuda Academy framework.

Delivered in collaboration with the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI), the programme was staged in Jakarta over a two-month period and formed part of the Garuda Academy’s CORE 3 and CORE 4 pathways. It was the first time the ACFAM programme has been delivered in Indonesia.

Philippine FA delegation treads ‘strategic pathway’ to Romania

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 01:48:03 +0000

January 30 – The Romanian Football Federation (FRF) is hosting an official delegation from the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) this week, marking a significant milestone in a strategic partnership aimed at helping revolutionise football in the Philippines.

The visit, which includes the PFF President, secretary general, and technical director, is part of the ‘Strategic Pathways’ project. Launched under the UEFA Together umbrella, this collaboration runs from September 2023 to July 2026. Its primary goal is to leverage the FRF’s expertise to develop a robust strategic management plan for Philippine football for the 2026–2030 period.

McDonald’s joins as AFC regional partner for Women’s Asian Cup in Aussie

Paul Nicholson — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 02:46:52 +0000

January 28 – Fast food will combine with top-level sport again this spring as the Asian Football Confederation has added McDonald’s as an official regional partner of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026.

Under the agreement, McDonald’s Australia will activate around the competition domestically, leveraging its retail network and brand reach to support fan engagement across the three-week tournament.

The partnership links Asia’s flagship women’s national team event with one of the most recognisable consumer brands in Australia,

AFC and Saudi LOC unveil Asian Cup 2027 brand identity

Paul Nicholson — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 10:14:46 +0000

January 25 – The brand identity for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 was unveiled during half time at the U23 Asian Cup final in Jeddah on Saturday.

The Asian Cup 2027 official logo, which combines a distinctive wordmark with

The trophy symbol is centre of the design and is combined with a distinctive wordmark that is rooted in Najdi stepped geometry and is an architectural and decorative style found only in Saudi Arabia.

Japan beat China to retain U23 Asian Cup as Saudi Arabia build hosting credentials

Paul Nicholson — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 10:00:46 +0000

January 25 – Japan brushed China aside 4-0 to retain their AFC U23 Asian Cup title at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium on Saturday. It is Japan’s third U23 Asian title, a confederation record.

Two goals from Kosei Ogura and strikes from Yuto Ozeki and Ryunosuke Sato (the tournament’s leading scorer) ensured Japan became the first team to defend the title.

Japan were dominant throughout the tournament, conceding just one goal on their way to the final.

AFC revamps U17 and U20 Asian Cup qualifiers to improve competitive balance

Paul Nicholson — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 00:57:51 +0000

January 25 – The AFC is changing the qualifying formats of its U17 and U20 Asian Cups in a bid to optimise its competitions calendar and encourage stronger youth structures within its member associations.

The decision to revamp qualifying was taken to address “the technical gaps resulting in large score margins and early mathematical eliminations.”

The new qualification proposals were made by the AFC Competitions Committee meeting last weekend at the U23 Asian Cup finals in Saudi Arabia.

Cambodia earns AFC recognition as it starts academy development journey

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 02:47:55 +0000

January 23 – The Football Federation of Cambodia (FFC) has taken a step forward in its youth development ambitions after being awarded one-star status under the AFC Elite Youth Scheme.

The designation follows an on-site visit by members of the AFC Youth Panel, who spent time at the FFC headquarters assessing Cambodia’s Youth Development Master Plan for 2025–2030 and holding a series of meetings with the federation’s technical and administrative leadership.

According to the AFC,

Argentina-Spain Finalissima anchors Qatar Football Festival 2026 in March

Paul Nicholson — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 04:14:54 +0000

January 20 – Qatar has built out the Finalissima between the Champions of South America and Europe – Argentina and Spain – into a Football Festival that will see five other matches played.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Serbia and hosts Qatar will each play two matches between March 26-31.

Anchored around the Finalissima, matches will form part of World Cup 2026 warm up schedules and include Egypt playing Spain and Qatar against Argentina after the two global giants have competed in the Finalissima.

AFC resigns Visa for 2027 Asian Cup as Global Supporter

Paul Nicholson — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 09:25:05 +0000

January 19 – The AFC has confirmed Visa will join its Official Global Supporter roster for both the Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 and the U23 Asian Cup (currently underway), extending the payments giant’s long-standing commercial relationship with Asian football.

The agreement sees Visa align with two of the AFC’s flagship men’s national team competitions, both of which will be staged in the Middle East – this time in Saudi Arabia.

The partnership will focus on driving ‘fan engagement,

Central Coast Mariners seeks new owner as Aussie league takes over running of club

Paul Nicholson — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 08:34:50 +0000

January 19 – The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) has taken interim control of the Central Coast Mariners after terminating the club’s current participation agreement, moving to stabilise one of the A-Leagues’ most established teams while a new ownership group is sought.

The decision follows notification from the Mariners’ operator that it had forfeited its Club Participation Agreement (CPA). In response, the APL stepped in to end the existing arrangement and take direct management of the club for the remainder of the process,

AFC draws Women’s Champions League quarter final match-ups

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 04:45:56 +0000

January 16 – The AFC has held the quarter final draw for the AFC Women’s Champions League with the single leg matches to be played March 28 and 29.

Eight clubs from eight different nations have qualified for the knockout rounds from the three groups of four teams. This is the second season of the AFC Women’s Champions League.

Defending champions Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC from China, winners of Group B,

U23 Asian Cup reaches quarter finals stage with Japan and Vietnam dominant

Paul Nicholson — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 06:43:35 +0000

January 15 – Australia and China were the final teams to confirm their places in the quarter finals of the AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 this weekend but it was not without drama.

China went into their final match as group leaders, needing just a point against third placed Iraq to qualify for the knockout rounds. What looked like a straightforward task became difficult with the Chinese in the end settling for a 0-0 draw against a good Iraqi team.

Barca beat Real Madrid for 16th Super Cup win, the 6th final played in Saudi

Paul Nicholson — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 10:35:03 +0000

January 12 – Barcelona’s latest Super Cup success came once again far from home, edging Real Madrid 3-2 in Jeddah to retain a trophy that has become as much a Saudi Arabian event as a Spanish one.

Played at the King Abdullah Sports City, the final delivered the familiar chaos of a Clásico, even if the setting now feels increasingly detached from the domestic calendar it belongs to.

It is the sixth time in the last seven years the Spanish have played their Super Cup in Saudi,

Indian Super League given February start date after months of dispute

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 06:48:25 +0000

January 8 – After months of uncertainty and delays, the top-flight of Indian football is back, with season 12 of the Indian Super League now scheduled to kick off on February 14.

The league has been plagued by financial disagreement and legal dispute over rights representation. The loss earlier this month of City Football Group (owner of Manchester City) who exited Mumbai City FC, was not an endorsement of the league’s financial governance.

AFC draws knockout rounds for Champions League Two

Paul Nicholson — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:52:17 +0000

January 5 – The Asian Football Confederation has drawn the last 16 teams for the Champions League Two 2025/26 knockout rounds that begin in February.

Split into East and West zones (eight qualifying teams in each), clubs will play off through three rounds to qualify a zonal winner for the final.

In the West, clubs from seven nations make the last eight from the group stage.

Group A winners Al Wasl from the UAE were undefeated in the group stage,

Uzbekistan invests in development of academy and pro team in Kattakurgan

Paul Nicholson — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:05:20 +0000

January 5 – Uzbekistan, who will appear at their first World Cup in 2026, is pursuing an expansion of the country’s domestic professional game with the city of Kattakurgan in the Samarkand region receiving government support to expand its infrastructure.

A Resolution of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on December 23 highlighted “further intensification of measures aimed at socio-economic development in the Samarakand region”, and included the establishment of a football academy in Kattakurgan.

AFC turns focus to establishing new Nations League structure ‘in the coming period’

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 05:57:17 +0000

December 27 – Having successfully reorganised and relaunched its club competition eco-system, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has returned its attention to its national team competition structure reaffirming plans to introduce an AFC Nations League.

With the AFC’s region having come out of the pandemic slightly later than other confederations, the AFC had to be creative with a reworked competition calendar that not only created opportunity for all its nations but gave its competitions space to complete their natural cycles,

CFG pull out of India’s Mumbai City FC

Paul Nicholson — Sun, 28 Dec 2025 19:09:09 +0000

December 29 – City Football Group (CFG), who have built a 13-team multi-club ownership model around Manchester City, are pulling out of Indian Super League side Mumbai City FC.

Having bought 65% of the club’s share in 2019, Mumbai City will now return to the full ownership of Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor and businessman Bimal Parekh.

“The founding owners will assume full control of the organisation moving forward,” Mumbai said in a statement on their official website.

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