New Delhi: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is planning a major overhaul of Asia’s qualification process for the and Asian Cup, with the launch of a new Nations League competition outlined in a draft proposal.
According to an ESPN report, the AFC initially announced its intent to launch the new competition last December, and the proposal will be presented to associations on Tuesday.
In the new competition, the participating nations will be divided into three tiers, with 18 teams each in the first two divisions, while the remaining 11 will be split into three groups in the third tier. In editions aligned with the FIFA World Cup, the first of which would be played in 2032-33, teams would play six home and six away matches, with the sides finishing in the top six securing automatic qualification.
Teams that finish seventh to 10th in the top tier would then enter a round-robin playoff for the remaining two qualification spots. The top two best-performing teams will qualify for the global tournament, and the third-placed side will advance to an intercontinental playoff.
Under the previous format used for the 2026 World Cup, the 18 teams that reached the third phase were divided into three groups of six. The top two teams from each group automatically qualified for the World Cup, while the next two best advanced to a fourth-phase playoff.
Asian Cup proposed to shift from 2031 to 2032 under AFC’s new plan
In Asian Cup-aligned editions of the proposed Nations League, the first of which would be held in 2030 and feature three home and three away fixtures. Under the plans, the Asian Cup would be shifted from 2031 to 2032, and all Tier 1 sides and the six highest-placed finishers in the second tier would qualify.
Regardless of the tournament it is linked with, each edition of the proposed Nations League would see the top-eight sides from Tier 1 advance to a knockout stage to determine the overall champion. The quarterfinals would be played in a home-and-away format, followed by the semifinal and final played at a central venue.
The teams finishing at the top and bottom of each tier would be promoted and relegated automatically at the end of each biennial tournament. Additional movement between tiers would be decided through playoffs, involving the next four lowest-ranked sides from the higher tiers, and the next four highest-ranked sides from the lower tier.
The AFC plans to do away with regional divisions, with teams instead placed in different pots during the draw to ensure more balanced fixtures. A pilot tournament in 2028-29 would be used to set up the three tiers, with teams divided based on their results in the joint qualifiers rather than FIFA rankings.
The pilot would retain the current format of three groups of six in the top tier, while also introducing promotion, relegation and playoffs to help determine the teams for the first official Nations League in 2030.