What is the truth about AFC not broadcasting the Asian U17 group stage matches, and what does the rights holder say?

Details about the broadcasting of the 2026 Asian U17 Championship are being closely watched by many supporters as Vietnam's U17 squad takes part in this competition.

Recently, there has been information suggesting Vietnamese viewers may risk not being able to watch live broadcasts of Vietnam U17's group stage matches at the 2026 Asian U17 Championship. According to ASEAN Football, AFC might reduce broadcasting of the U17 tournament's group stage as the Asian Football Confederation considers narrowing the television coverage of youth tournaments due to shortages in personnel and recording equipment.

This means the Asian U17 (boys and girls) group stage matches may not be broadcast comprehensively. Therefore, AFC will only provide full signal feeds to broadcasters from the quarter-finals onward, while the group stage might only be streamed on AFC's platform with a limited setup (only one main camera) or even without any live broadcast.

However, this is not yet official information. The rights holder for the 2026 Asian U17 Championship in Vietnam, TV360, stated that it has reached an agreement with AFC to broadcast ALL matches of the 2026 Asian U17 boys' tournament in full. It is expected that TV360 will release official information on this matter today (April 28).

The 2026 Asian U17 Championship takes place from May 5 to May 22, 2026 in Saudi Arabia with 16 participating teams. The teams are divided into four groups. The Asian U17 Championship also serves as the qualifying round for the 2026 U17 World Cup. The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals and secure spots for the 2026 U17 World Cup.

Vietnam U17 is in Group C alongside South Korea U17, Yemen U17, and UAE U17. Vietnam U17 will face Yemen U17 in their opening match on May 6. On May 10, Vietnam U17 will meet South Korea U17. In the final group stage match, Vietnam U17 plays against UAE U17 (May 13).