A familiar sight greeted those in attendance at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah on Saturday night, as Japan, once again, stood atop the podium, lifting a record third AFC U23 Asian Cup title; a second in succession, after a ruthless 4–0 dismantling of surprise finalists China.
It was a fittingly subdued finale, however, to the tournament in its current guise, with this marking the final edition not doubling as an Olympic qualifier moving forward. If the AFC harboured any concerns that removing extra competitions from the calendar might blunt the spectacle, fears initially will be eased.
The tournament rarely caught fire; hosts Saudi Arabia headlined a growing list of faltering heavyweights, while several smaller nations progressed by prioritising containment over adventure. For those who travelled to the Kingdom for one last hurrah, it was hard not to leave slightly underwhelmed.
Japan extend their dominance over Asian football
In a tournament that failed to truly ignite, eventual champions Japan were ruthlessly consistent. From the outset, Go Oiwa’s side looked a cut above, made more impressive given the self-imposed restrictions under which they operated.
Fielding an under-21 squad with one eye firmly on Olympic qualification in two years’ time, and unable to draw fully from their expanding pool of Europe-based talent, Japan arrived in Saudi Arabia with a squad largely comprised of J.League rookies and university graduates. What emerged however, was a side that was effortlessly cohesive, tactically mature, and reassuringly effective.
At the heart of it was centre-back and captain Rion Ichihara, imperious throughout and rarely troubled, whose assured displays suggested a European move is more a matter of when than if.
Japan played on the front foot, sharp and incisive in their movement, quickly pouncing on their opponents before they could settle. While few individuals dominated the headlines, given Oiwa’s regular rotation, decisive contributions from Yuto Ozeki in the centre of midfield, eventual MVP Ryunosuke Sato, and the relentless left-wing threat of Yumeki Yokoyama proved pivotal.
Only once did Japan truly wobble, in the quarter-finals, where an assertive and athletic Jordan matched them stride for stride, forcing the Samurai Blue to penalties. That narrow escape aside, Japan’s control was absolute. Teenager Rui Araki, bizarrely named goalkeeper of the tournament, was scarcely required to make a meaningful save across the month.
Conversely, China, their opponent in the Final, represented Japan’s tactical antithesis. Antonio Puche’s direction was anything but subtle, setting his side up with the flattest of back fives, sitting deep, compressing space, and frustrating opponents before breaking with pace when opportunities arose.
It was a pragmatic blueprint, and one executed with discipline. With the draw opening up, it was admittedly effective. Having exited at the group stage in all five of their previous attempts, recording just two wins over that period, China’s run to the final in 2026 was undeniably historic.
Whether it signals the emergence of a long-awaited “golden generation” remains open to debate. Tactically, China adhered faithfully to Puche’s plan, and the results followed. Only Japan managed to breach their defence, ending their imperious clean-sheet run right up until to the final. Yet, across six matches in Saudi Arabia, China scored in just two of them.
The standout figure was goalkeeper Li Hao, whose self-belief, which at times bordered on arrogance, looked justified, as he excelled between the posts. On multiple occasions he was the sole reason China’s campaign remained alive, most notably in the quarter-final against Uzbekistan, where he repelled wave after wave of pressure, before excelling again in the ensuing shootout.
In Li, defenders Liu Haofan and Peng Xiao, and attacking outlet Wang Yudong, this generation looks more promising than many that have preceded it, with several already having been eased into the senior setup. The hope now is that under new national team coach Shao Jiayi, the senior team allows them greater tactical freedom.
Hosts lead the list of big name disappointments
There are plenty of reasons this tournament may ultimately be consigned to a dusty filing cabinet deep within AFC House, chief among them being the general disappointment of most of the traditional heavyweights, headlined by the performances of the hosts Saudi Arabia.
On paper, they had the squad. In the stands, they had the support. On the pitch, they controlled the tempo. What they lacked was effective incision.
Dominant in all three of their group matches, Saudi Arabia were undone by their own inefficiency. Abdullah Radif’s early hamstring injury proved a physical and psychological blow, which stripped confidence away rapidly. Despite the ingenuity of Musab Al-Juwayr, the supporting acts in Abdulaziz Al-Aliwa and Faris Al-Ghamdi never matched their pre-tournament billing.
Fifty-two shots over the course of the group stage yielded just three goals; a familiar and enduring problem across Saudi football, youth and senior stage alike. Herve Renard will have been wincing all knowingly sitting back at home.
Elsewhere, expectations were lower, and in some cases more accurately aligned with reality. South Korea reached the semi-finals without ever truly convincing across a full 90 minutes. Kang Sang-jin provided moments of genius, but too often in isolation, while centre-back Shin Min-ha emerged as a standout talent, impressing at both ends of the pitch.
Dominance, including over 75 percent of possession in the bronze medal match, failed to translate into success, however. Just two podium finishes across seven editions tells its own story.
Australia found themselves in a similar bind. Again hampered by squad omissions, they showed flashes without ever appearing to be genuine contenders, leaving it late to narrowly scrape through the group stage with two stoppage time goals, before bowing out in the quarters.
In the context of Australia’s impressive U20 Asian Cup triumph last year, and with the Asian Games looming for Korea, scrutiny will instead turn toward the long-term futures of both coaching setups; and how they can both make the most of the opportunities ahead of them.
Uzbekistan, by contrast, leave with fewer immediate concerns. Like Japan, they travelled with an underage squad, that prioritised Olympic preparation. Identifiably, Ravshan Khyadarov’s side lacked attacking depth, relying too heavily on 19-year-old Amirbek Saidov, who showcased more of a frustrating profligacy than a clinical edge he’s built his reputation on throughout his youth career.
Still, there were positives. The midfield trio of Sardor Bakhromov, Ravshan Kharullaev and Saidurmarkhon Saidnurullaev impressed, as did the energetic right-back Bekhruz Karimov. Attention now shifts swiftly to the senior side’s FIFA World Cup preparations, with a few of the squad already joining Fabio Cannavaro’s first training camp just days after elimination.
Vietnam and Jordan have their moment in the sun
If the tournament lacked consistency, it made up for it with moments of unexpected joy. As the big names stumbled, others seized their opportunity.
Vietnam emulated the spirit of 2018, the last time they made it to the final four, but were eventually undone by China’s deep-lying resistance in the semi-finals, having perhaps met their tactical mirror.
Kim Sang-sik deployed an unapologetically defensive approach, similarly, based on playing on the break, spearheaded by golden boot winner Nguyen Dinh Bac. When given space to counter, Vietnam excelled – notably shocking Saudi Arabia in the group phase and overcoming an improving UAE side in the quarter-finals.
When denied space in behind and gifted possession, however, Vietnam looked uncertain, perhaps a lingering hangover from the Park Hang-seo era.
Jordan, instead, were closer to being the more dangerous outsider. Relentless in the press and brave in their approach, they were one of only a handful of sides to consistently impose themselves without retreating into caution.
Much of that was down to the tireless running of Odeh Al-Fakouri and the sheer quality of Ali Azaizeh. On another day, and with a kinder draw, Jordan might have gone further. Azaizeh’s stunning brace against Saudi Arabia was a particular highpoint, showcasing something we very nearly missed, had he not been called up as cover for the injured Ahmad Al-Moghrabi.
Indeed, Jordan were the only side to genuinely unsettle and challenge Japan, with Azaizeh again on the scoresheet to end the champions’ otherwise spotless defensive record. Occasionally fragile when challenged, Omar Najhi’s squad nevertheless look well placed to feed into a senior setup as we approach Jordan’s World Cup debut later this year.
For every Jordanian tale however, there was Qatar. Once synonymous with Asian youth success, another tournament passes by underlining how their golden generation was a singular moment in time. Missing a first-minute penalty in their opener set the tone for what was a frustrating and disjointed campaign.
In their last five youth tournaments, in which they haven’t hosted, Qatar have exited at the first hurdle at each opportunity. This time, failing to register a single goal marked a new low, a reality check for the back-to-back senior Asian champions.
After success and turmoil, whether this tournament ultimately carries lasting significance remains doubtful. Saudi Arabia have already shifted focus to hosting the senior Asian Cup in twelve months’ time, while most U23 set-ups were already setting up towards Los Angeles 2028 anyway.
Even as Japan lifted their historic title inside the enormous vacuum of Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium, the moment felt oddly hollow, more pre-season testimonial than a continental climax with added significance.
For this Japanese cohort, ambitions stretch far beyond Jeddah: to Europe – where most of these players will soon head, future Olympic medals, senior Asian Cups, and the promise of World Cup success, sooner or later.
Saudi Arabia 2026 will mark a mere footnote on their way to hopeful glory. For the AFC, having proactively trimmed the U23 calendar from 2028 onwards, alongside further reforms to U20 and U17 competitions set out earlier this week, reduced exposure appears a deliberate move in pursuit of on-pitch entertainment, labelled as competitiveness.
Whether that comes at the expense of quality, and Asia’s standing on the global stage, is a question only time can answer.
Listen to Episode 265 of The Asian Game Podcast as we discuss Australia’s first 20 years as an AFC member
