Kuala Lumpur: Bangladesh has been grouped alongside hosts and defending champions, the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates, in Group G of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026 qualifiers. The draw for the qualifiers was conducted at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the 31 teams participating in the qualifiers have been divided into eight groups, with seven groups consisting of four teams each, while one group comprises three teams. The qualifiers are scheduled to take place from September 20 to 24. The winners of each group and the seven best-ranked runners-up will progress to the finals, joining hosts Indonesia for the 18th edition of the tournament, set to be held in January.
In Group A, hosts Kuwait will face Australia, Mongolia, and India. In Group B, top seeds Thailand will compete against Korea Republic, Bahrain, and Brunei Darussalam. Japan, a four-time winner of the cup, leads Group C, contending with hosts Tajikistan, Macau, and Cambodia. Group D features Iraq, hosts Saudi Arabia, Chinese Taipei, and Pakistan vying for an automatic spot.
Meanwhile, Group E consists of Vietnam, Lebanon, hosts China PR, and Hong Kong, China. Group F includes Uzbekistan, Kyrgyz Republic (hosts), Timor-Leste, and Palestine. Defending champions Iran, along with Malaysia (hosts), the United Arab Emirates, and Bangladesh, form Group G. Lastly, Afghanistan, Myanmar (hosts), and Maldives are the teams in Group H.
The AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026 will take place from January 27 to February 7.