Football at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 ran from 14 September to 3 October 2026 across Japan. There were two tournaments, a men’s under-23 competition and a women’s senior competition, bringing 18 nations to seven stadiums in six cities. Both tournaments are now complete.
- Men: South Korea beat hosts Japan 1-0 in the final at Toyota Stadium to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive Asian Games title.
- Women: Japan beat North Korea on penalties in the final at Shizuoka Stadium for a third straight gold.
This page is the final record of both tournaments: medal winners, knockout results, groups, schedules and venues.
Men’s football was played in Osaka, Toyota, Nagoya and Kariya. The women’s event was played in Osaka, Fukuroi, Gifu and Kariya.
Football Medal Winners — Asian Games 2026
| Tournament | 🥇 Gold | 🥈 Silver | 🥉 Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men (U-23) | South Korea | Japan | China |
| Women | Japan | North Korea | South Korea |
- Men’s final (3 Oct, Toyota Stadium): South Korea 1-0 Japan. Eom Ji-sung scored in the 61st minute.
- Men’s bronze (3 Oct, Toyota Stadium): China 2-2 Uzbekistan, China won 4-3 on penalties. It was China’s first men’s football medal at the Asian Games in 28 years.
- Women’s final (2 Oct, Shizuoka Stadium): Japan 2-2 North Korea, Japan won 5-3 on penalties.
- Women’s bronze (2 Oct, Shizuoka Stadium): South Korea 1-0 China. It was South Korea’s first win over China in 11 years and their first Asian Games medal in eight years.
Football at Asian Games 2026: Quick facts
| Event | Football at the 20th Asian Games (Aichi-Nagoya 2026) |
| Host country | Japan |
| Dates | 14 September – 3 October 2026 |
| Teams | 15 men’s, 12 women’s (18 nations in total) |
| Venues | 7 stadiums across 6 host cities |
| Men’s final | Toyota Stadium, 3 October 2026 — South Korea 1-0 Japan |
| Women’s final | Shizuoka Stadium (Fukuroi), 2 October 2026 — Japan 2-2 North Korea (Japan won 5-3 on penalties) |
| Men’s champions | South Korea (4th consecutive title) |
| Women’s champions | Japan (3rd consecutive title, 4th overall) |
| All match times | Japan Standard Time (JST / UTC+9) |
Men’s tournament: how it was won
Final: South Korea 1-0 Japan (3 October, Toyota Stadium)
This was the third straight Asian Games final between the two rivals, played in front of around 45,000 fans. The only goal came in the 61st minute. Yang Min-hyuk crossed from the right, and wildcard Eom Ji-sung controlled the ball, cut inside and finished with his left foot for his fourth goal of the tournament. Japan hit the post in the second half but could not find an equaliser, and South Korea became the first nation to win four consecutive Asian Games men’s football titles.
Semi-finals (30 September, Osaka)
- South Korea 2-1 China: Wang Yudong put China ahead in the 22nd minute. Lee Young-jun equalised in the 33rd and Bae Jun-ho scored the winner in the 82nd.
- Japan 1-1 Uzbekistan (aet), Japan won 9-8 on penalties: Sardor Bahromov gave Uzbekistan an 8th-minute lead. Japan equalised to force extra time, then won a marathon shootout in which almost every player took a kick.
Bronze medal match: China 2-2 Uzbekistan, China won 4-3 on penalties (3 October)
Hu Xutao (15′) and Wang Yudong (53′) scored for China, and Sardorbek Bahromov (42′) and Shodiyor Shodiboev (89′) for Uzbekistan. Goalkeeper Li Hao saved two Uzbek penalties as China won a men’s football medal for the first time in 28 years.
Quarter-finals
| Date | Match | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 25 September | Uzbekistan (C1) vs Saudi Arabia (D2) | Uzbekistan won 3-0 |
| 25 September | South Korea (D1) vs Vietnam (C2) | South Korea won 4-0 |
| 26 September | China (B1) vs Thailand (A2) | China won 3-0 |
| 26 September | Japan (A1) vs North Korea (B2) | Japan won 1-0 |
China reached the last four for the first time in 28 years.
Women’s tournament: how it was won
Final: Japan 2-2 North Korea, Japan won 5-3 on penalties (2 October, Shizuoka Stadium)
It was a rematch of the 2022 final.
- Mami Ueno gave Japan the lead in the 32nd minute.
- North Korea turned the game around with goals from Jong Kum (47′) and Jon Ryong Jong (69′).
- Hanon Nishio equalised for Japan in the 86th minute.
- In the shootout, goalkeeper Shu Ohba saved the only miss and Yuzuho Shiokoshi scored the winning penalty.
Japan had reached the final without conceding a goal. It was their fourth Asian Games women’s football gold and third in a row.
Semi-finals (29 September, Shizuoka Stadium)
- Japan 2-0 South Korea
- North Korea 2-0 China: a China own goal in the 53rd minute and Myong Yu-jung in the 79th, in heavy rain.
Bronze medal match: South Korea 1-0 China (2 October)
Noh Jin-young scored in the 4th minute, and South Korea held on for their fourth Asian Games bronze in women’s football and their first win over China in 11 years.
Quarter-finals (25 September)
| Match | Winner |
|---|---|
| North Korea vs Chinese Taipei | North Korea |
| Japan vs Philippines | Japan |
| China vs Vietnam | China |
| South Korea vs Uzbekistan | South Korea |
How the tournaments worked
The men’s event was an under-23 competition, with places decided through the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup pathway, so each side was built around the next generation of Asian talent rather than its full senior squad. Teams could also name over-age “wildcard” players, and South Korea’s final winner, Eom Ji-sung, was one of them. The women’s event was a senior international tournament, tied to the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup pathway, so several first-choice national teams took part.
In both tournaments, teams played a round-robin group stage and the top finishers advanced to the knockout rounds. Matches decided in extra time count as wins or losses, while matches settled on a penalty shoot-out are recorded as draws.
- Men (15 teams, 4 groups): the top two from each group reached the quarter-finals (eight teams). Group D had only three teams following Iraq’s withdrawal.
- Women (12 teams, 3 groups): the top two from each group, plus the two best third-placed teams, made up an eight-team knockout field.
Men’s football: groups and who advanced
| Group | Teams | Advanced to quarter-finals |
|---|---|---|
| A | Japan (hosts), Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, Hong Kong | Japan (1st, 3 wins from 3), Thailand (2nd) |
| B | China, Iran, UAE, North Korea | China (1st), North Korea (2nd) |
| C | Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Philippines, Kuwait | Uzbekistan (1st, 3 wins from 3), Vietnam (2nd) |
| D | South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Qatar | South Korea (1st, 2 wins from 2), Saudi Arabia (2nd) |
Notable group-stage results:
- Japan beat Kyrgyzstan 7-0 and Thailand beat Hong Kong 5-1 (20 September).
- Iran and China drew 0-0 (20 September).
- Uzbekistan beat Vietnam 2-0 and South Korea beat Saudi Arabia 2-0 (22 September).
Women’s football: groups and who advanced
| Group | Teams | Advanced to quarter-finals |
|---|---|---|
| E | Japan (hosts), Chinese Taipei, Vietnam, Thailand | Japan, Chinese Taipei, Vietnam |
| F | South Korea, North Korea, Bangladesh, Myanmar | North Korea, South Korea |
| G | China, Philippines, Uzbekistan, Hong Kong | China, Philippines, Uzbekistan |
Japan won all their group games without conceding, scoring 16 goals in their first two.
Men’s football schedule (as played)
All times are local Japan Standard Time (JST, UTC+9).
Group stage
| Date | Time (JST) | Match | Group | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 September | 15:30 | Uzbekistan vs Philippines | C | Nagoya, Minato Soccer Field |
| 15 September | 19:00 | Vietnam vs Kuwait | C | Nagoya, Minato Soccer Field |
| 15 September | 19:30 | Qatar vs South Korea | D | Nagoya |
| 16 September | 14:00 | UAE vs Iran | B | Kariya |
| 16 September | 16:00 | Thailand vs Kyrgyzstan | A | Toyota |
| 16 September | 19:00 | China vs North Korea | B | Kariya |
| 16 September | 19:30 | Japan vs Hong Kong | A | Toyota |
| 18 September | 15:30 | Philippines vs Vietnam | C | Nagoya, Minato Soccer Field |
| 18 September | 19:00 | Kuwait vs Uzbekistan | C | Nagoya, Minato Soccer Field |
| 18 September | 19:30 | Saudi Arabia vs Qatar | D | Nagoya |
| 20 September | 14:00 | Iran vs China | B | Kariya |
| 20 September | 16:00 | Hong Kong vs Thailand | A | Toyota |
| 20 September | 19:00 | North Korea vs UAE | B | Kariya |
| 20 September | 19:30 | Kyrgyzstan vs Japan | A | Toyota |
| 22 September | 14:00 | Vietnam vs Uzbekistan | C | Nagoya, Mizuho Park Rugby Field |
| 22 September | 14:00 | Philippines vs Kuwait | C | Nagoya, Minato Soccer Field |
| 22 September | 19:00 | South Korea vs Saudi Arabia | D | Nagoya |
| 23 September | 14:30 | China vs UAE | B | Toyota |
| 23 September | 14:30 | Iran vs North Korea | B | Kariya |
| 23 September | 19:30 | Japan vs Thailand | A | Toyota |
| 23 September | 19:30 | Kyrgyzstan vs Hong Kong | A | Kariya |
Knockout stage
| Date | Time (JST) | Stage | Match | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 September | 14:00 | Quarter-final | Uzbekistan vs Saudi Arabia | Uzbekistan 3-0 | Nagoya |
| 25 September | 19:30 | Quarter-final | South Korea vs Vietnam | South Korea 4-0 | Nagoya |
| 26 September | 15:00 | Quarter-final | China vs Thailand | China 3-0 | Toyota |
| 26 September | 19:30 | Quarter-final | Japan vs North Korea | Japan 1-0 | Toyota |
| 30 September | — | Semi-final | South Korea vs China | South Korea 2-1 | Osaka |
| 30 September | — | Semi-final | Japan vs Uzbekistan | 1-1 aet, Japan 9-8 pens | Osaka |
| 3 October | 15:00 | Bronze medal | China vs Uzbekistan | 2-2, China 4-3 pens 🥉 | Toyota |
| 3 October | 19:30 | Gold medal | South Korea vs Japan | South Korea 1-0 🥇 | Toyota |
Women’s football schedule (as played)
All times are local Japan Standard Time (JST, UTC+9).
Group stage
| Group | Date | Time (JST) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E | 14 September | 16:00 | Chinese Taipei vs Vietnam | Shizuoka |
| E | 14 September | 19:30 | Japan vs Thailand | Shizuoka |
| E | 17 September | 16:00 | Thailand vs Chinese Taipei | Shizuoka |
| E | 17 September | 19:30 | Vietnam vs Japan | Shizuoka |
| E | 21 September | 19:30 | Japan vs Chinese Taipei | Shizuoka |
| E | 21 September | 19:30 | Vietnam vs Thailand | Nagai |
| F | 14 September | 16:00 | North Korea vs Bangladesh | Nagai |
| F | 14 September | 19:30 | South Korea vs Myanmar | Nagai |
| F | 17 September | 16:00 | Bangladesh vs South Korea | Nagai |
| F | 17 September | 19:30 | Myanmar vs North Korea | Nagai |
| F | 21 September | 16:00 | South Korea vs North Korea | Shizuoka |
| F | 21 September | 16:00 | Bangladesh vs Myanmar | Nagai |
| G | 14 September | 14:00 | Philippines vs Uzbekistan | Gifu |
| G | 14 September | 19:00 | China vs Hong Kong | Gifu |
| G | 17 September | 14:00 | Uzbekistan vs China | Gifu |
| G | 17 September | 19:00 | Hong Kong vs Philippines | Gifu |
| G | 21 September | 16:00 | China vs Philippines | Gifu |
| G | 21 September | 16:00 | Uzbekistan vs Hong Kong | Kariya |
Knockout stage
| Stage | Date | Match | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarter-final | 25 September | North Korea vs Chinese Taipei | North Korea won | — |
| Quarter-final | 25 September | Japan vs Philippines | Japan won | — |
| Quarter-final | 25 September | China vs Vietnam | China won | — |
| Quarter-final | 25 September | South Korea vs Uzbekistan | South Korea won | — |
| Semi-final | 29 September | Japan vs South Korea | Japan 2-0 | Shizuoka |
| Semi-final | 29 September | North Korea vs China | North Korea 2-0 | Shizuoka |
| Bronze medal | 2 October | South Korea vs China | South Korea 1-0 🥉 | Shizuoka |
| Gold medal | 2 October | Japan vs North Korea | 2-2, Japan 5-3 pens 🥇 | Shizuoka |
Venues
Seven stadiums across six cities hosted the football, spanning the Chūbu and Kansai regions:
- Toyota Stadium, Toyota: men’s final (capacity ~45,000)
- Shizuoka Stadium (Ecopa), Fukuroi: women’s final (capacity ~50,889)
- Nagai Stadium, Osaka (capacity ~47,853)
- Gifu Nagaragawa Stadium, Gifu (capacity ~26,109)
- Paloma Mizuho Park Rugby Stadium, Nagoya
- Nagoya City Minato Soccer Field, Nagoya
- Wave Stadium Kariya, Kariya
Asian Games football: recent medal history
| Edition | Men: Gold / Silver / Bronze | Women: Gold / Silver / Bronze |
|---|---|---|
| Hangzhou 2022 (played 2023) | South Korea / Japan / Uzbekistan | Japan / North Korea / China |
| Aichi-Nagoya 2026 | South Korea / Japan / China | Japan / North Korea / South Korea |
Both 2022 champions defended their titles on Japanese soil, and both finals were rematches of the 2022 finals.
How to watch football highlights and replays
Broadcast rights were sold region by region, so replays and highlights sit with the rights-holder in your country. In Japan that is TBS. Other examples are Sony LIV in India, meWATCH in Singapore and beIN/TOD in the Middle East. Clips are also on the official Aichi-Nagoya 2026 YouTube and Instagram channels. Full results for every match are on the official results portal at results.asiangames2026.org.
Frequently asked questions
Who won men’s football at the Asian Games 2026? South Korea beat Japan 1-0 in the final on 3 October at Toyota Stadium, with Eom Ji-sung scoring. It was their fourth consecutive Asian Games title. China won bronze.
Who won women’s football at the Asian Games 2026? Japan beat North Korea 5-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in the final on 2 October at Shizuoka Stadium. It was their third straight title. South Korea won bronze.
Who won the bronze medals? China beat Uzbekistan on penalties in the men’s bronze match. South Korea beat China 1-0 in the women’s.
Is the men’s tournament a senior competition? No. The men’s event is an under-23 competition (with limited over-age players), while the women’s event is a senior international tournament.
Where were the finals played? The men’s final was at Toyota Stadium on 3 October, and the women’s final at Shizuoka Stadium (Ecopa) in Fukuroi on 2 October.
When is the next Asian Games football tournament? At the 21st Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, in November 2030.
Sources & updates
Schedule, groups, venues and format are drawn from the official Aichi-Nagoya 2026 draw (23 July 2026) and results portal, cross-referenced with the Olympic Council of Asia, Olympics.com and AFC. Knockout results are from AFC and official match reports. Historical results are from the official Asian Games records.
iSportsLeague is an independent sports information site and is not affiliated with the Olympic Council of Asia, the AFC or the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Organising Committee.
Final — Asian Games 2026 football concluded on 3 October 2026. Last updated: 6 October 2026.
