AFC Plans Asian Nations League for World Cup, Asian Cup
The Asian Football Confederation is considering a biennial Asian Nations League, similar to Europe’s UEFA Nations League, to serve as qualifiers for the World Cup and Asian Cup starting in 2030. The league would feature three divisions, with automatic World Cup spots for the top six in Division 1 and playoffs for teams ranked 7‑10, while the Asian Cup would shift to 2032 with qualification tied to Nations League performance. A pilot tournament could launch in 2028‑29, using early qualifying results to determine divisions.
The AFC said the Asian Nations League would also determine qualification for the Asian Cup, with the first edition scheduled for 2030, pushing the Asian Cup from 2031 to 2032. All teams in Division 1, plus the six highest‑ranked teams from Division 2, would qualify automatically for the Asian Cup final tournament. In every Nations League cycle, the eight top teams from Division 1 would reach a knockout phase: quarterfinals played home‑and‑away, semifinals and final at a neutral venue. Additionally, the top two and bottom two teams in each division would face promotion and relegation, with a playoff involving the next four teams to decide the remaining spots. The AFC Nations League would not be split by region, and a pilot tournament is proposed for the 2028‑29 season, using early World Cup qualifying results to seed the divisions instead of relying on FIFA rankings.