Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The Saudi women’s national football team will take part in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers for the first time in its history, marking a major milestone in the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to develop women’s football.

The 2026 edition of the tournament will be hosted in Australia, and the qualifiers are set to begin on June 23, with matches played in centralized venues across Asia.

Formed in 2021, the Saudi women’s team played its first international matches in February 2022, registering notable wins over Seychelles and the Maldives.

The team made further history by entering the FIFA Women’s World Ranking in March 2023, debuting at 171st. As of the latest update, the team stands at 166th globally.

Despite being a young squad, Saudi Arabia has shown promising growth, having won the 2023 SAFF Women’s International Friendly Tournament, and now looks to make its mark on the continental stage.

Saudi Arabia is among 18 nations aiming for a first-ever Asian Cup finals appearance, including the UAE, Lebanon, Bahrain, Iraq, Palestine, and Pakistan.

Meanwhile, former champions North Korea, Chinese Taipei, and Thailand return to the qualification rounds with ambitions of reclaiming the title.

The qualifiers draw will be held on March 27, with the tournament split into eight groups: six groups of four teams and two groups of five.

Group winners will advance to the finals, joining hosts Australia and the top three teams from the 2022 edition in India — China (champions), South Korea (runners-up), and Japan (third place).

Matches will take place in centralized venues across Cambodia, Indonesia, Jordan, Myanmar, Tajikistan, Thailand, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.

Teams will be drawn from five seeding pots based on the FIFA Women’s World Rankings (as of March 6). Saudi Arabia is placed in Pot 4 alongside Singapore, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, and the Maldives.

Pot 1 includes heavyweights like North Korea, the Philippines, Chinese Taipei, and Iran, while other pots feature regional contenders such as India, Nepal, Bahrain, the UAE, and Laos.

The final tournament will take place across three host cities in Australia from March 1 to 26, 2026, offering a historic opportunity for Saudi Arabia’s women’s team to take part in Asia’s top women’s football competition.