Group of Death? Asian Games Men's Football Draw Released: China in Same Group as Iran and North Korea! Will Face UAE

The draw for the 2026 Asian Games men's football tournament took place on July 23, Beijing time, in Nagoya, Japan. As a first-tier seed, China ended up in a tough group, being drawn into Group B with Iran, North Korea, and the UAE.

[Asian Games Men's Football Group Draw]

Group A: Japan (A1), Thailand (A2), Kyrgyzstan (A3), Hong Kong China (A4)

Group B: China (B1), UAE (B2), Iran (B3), North Korea (B4)

Group C: Vietnam (C1), Uzbekistan (C2), Philippines (C3), Kuwait (C4)

Group D: South Korea (D1), Saudi Arabia (D2), Qatar (D3)

Due to Iraq's withdrawal, the number of participating teams in this Asian Games men's football event has been reduced from the original 16 to 15. According to the draw rules, the 15 teams are divided into four groups, with three groups of four teams and one group of three teams.

Each group will play a single round-robin, with rankings determined by points. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage.

[Seeding Overview]

(The number after the team's name represents their final ranking in the 2026 U23 Asian Cup; North Korea has no ranking.)

First Tier (Seeds): Japan (1), China (2), Vietnam (3), South Korea (4);

Second Tier: Uzbekistan (5), UAE (8), Saudi Arabia (10), Thailand (13);

Third Tier: Iran (14), Kyrgyzstan (15), Qatar (16), Philippines (19);

Fourth Tier: Kuwait (23), Hong Kong China (34), North Korea (-);

[Match Schedule]

The Asian Games men's football tournament will kick off on September 15, with the first round of group matches on September 15 and 16; the second round on September 18 and 20; and the final round of group matches on September 22 and 23, determining the quarterfinalists.

Two quarterfinal matches will be played on each of September 25 and 26; the two semifinals will take place on September 30; and the bronze medal match and gold medal match will be held on October 3.

At the last Asian Games, the host China men's football team, despite finishing top of Group C, lost 3-4 to Saudi Arabia in the round of 16, ultimately failing to reach the quarterfinals.