The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has decided to introduce a new international competition, the AFC Nations League, for better structure during FIFA international windows.
“The effective use of the FIFA International Match Windows has become increasingly challenging due to the limited availability of opponents, rising operational costs and logistical complexity, which often reduces the sporting value of international matches,” the AFC said in a statement.
“After an extensive internal review and consultation process, the Confederation has decided in principle to introduce an AFC Nations League.”
The decision is roughly modeled on European thinking to use international windows effectively.
UEFA introduced the Nations League in the 2018/2019 season to ‘minimize pointless friendlies and provide countries with competitive encounters against evenly ranked teams.’
“The AFC Nations League represents an important step forward in our ongoing commitment to supporting the development of our 47 member associations,” said AFC Secretary General Datuk Seri Windsor John.
“By introducing a structured competition platform at the FIFA International Match Windows, with greater calendar stability and clear sporting incentives, we aim to ensure consistent access to high-quality matches, while addressing the logistical and cost-related challenges faced by national teams.”
However, only an agreement in principle has currently been reached on the AFC Nations League.
Details regarding the schedule, format, timeline and implementation will be discussed through the relevant AFC committees and stakeholder consultations and announced in due course.
Published on December 21, 2025
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