The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Football Committee held its next meeting in Sydney, Australia. Yuliya Panina, head of the women’s football department of the Uzbekistan Football Association, participated in the meeting.

During the meeting, principles were approved for granting a direct quota to the reigning champion team for the 2026/27 and 2027/28 seasons of the AFC Women’s Champions League. From now on, the winner of this prestigious tournament will receive a direct entry into the competition for the following season.

If the respective national association of the reigning champion team does not submit an application to participate in the tournament or if it is deemed unsuitable, this quota will be canceled and will not be redistributed to other associations. Additionally, if two teams from one country participate in the group stage, they will not occupy a place in one group based on the “one country – one group” principle.

The committee members were also presented with ongoing work regarding licensing AFC women’s clubs and proposed licensing criteria. This initiative aims to provide women’s clubs in Asia with sufficient time to adapt to new requirements and professional standards while ensuring a competitive future for women’s club football.

Furthermore, regulations for the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup tournaments scheduled for 2027 and 2028 were approved, along with updates on competitions, refereeing, and technical development related to women’s football since the previous meeting held in November 2024.