Japan beats China to defend the AFC U-23 Asian Cup title

Japan retained their AFC Under-23 Asian Cup title after beating China 4-0 in the final of the 2026 edition at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

Kosei Ogura bagged a brace (20′, 76′), while Yuto Ozeki (12′) and Ryunosuke Sato (60′) scored a goal each to ensure the Japanese secured their third U-23 title. They won it for the first time in 2016.

This was China’s first appearance in the top-flight match after beating Vietnam 3-0 in the semi-finals, while Japan defeated South Korea with a 1-0 win in the other last four encounters.

On Friday, Vietnam beat South Korea 7-6 in a penalty shootout in the third-place match after the match ended 2-2 after extra time.

Published on January 24, 2026