New AFC Nations League Set to Boost Competition and Commercial Growth
The Asian Football Confederation has confirmed plans to introduce a Nations League competition aimed at raising competitive standards and unlocking new commercial opportunities for national teams across Asia.
The Kuala Lumpur-based governing body made the announcement on Sunday, explaining that the new tournament will be staged within existing FIFA international windows to avoid additional strain on the football calendar. However, no official start date has been confirmed yet.
According to the AFC, the competition is designed to provide more meaningful matches for its 47 member associations while also reducing logistical and financial challenges faced by national teams.
“The AFC Nations League represents an important step forward in our ongoing commitment to support the development of our 47 member associations,” AFC general secretary Windsor John said in a statement.
“By introducing a structured competition platform… we aim to ensure consistent access to high-quality matches while addressing logistical and cost-related challenges faced by national teams.”
The AFC currently runs the Asian Cup every four years, with the next edition of the expanded 24-team tournament scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia in January 2027.
The move follows a similar model adopted in Europe, where UEFA launched its own Nations League in 2018 to replace friendlies with more competitive fixtures and increase the number of meaningful international matches.
The AFC believes the introduction of its own Nations League will help strengthen national team football across the continent while creating new commercial value for Asian football.
