Preparations for the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup Thailand 2026 will begin on September 10, 2026, when the final draw will take place at the AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The ceremony, scheduled for 15:00, will distribute 12 teams into three groups of four teams each for the twelfth edition of this competition, which will be held from November 18 to 28, 2026.
Thailand is hosting the tournament for the fourth time, matching the record of the United Arab Emirates. As in previous editions, all matches will be held in the city of Phang Nga.
The last tournament in 2025 featured eleven teams. Iran and Japan maintain their record of participating in every edition, while Uzbekistan returns after its participation in 2023.
Teams were distributed into four pots based on the points system derived from their final standings in the last three editions. The host, Thailand, received top seed status.
Group Distribution
In the first pot (Pot 1) are Thailand (Rank: 5; Host), Iran (1), and Oman (2).
In the second pot (Pot 2) are Japan (3), the United Arab Emirates (4), and Lebanon (6).
The third pot (Pot 3) includes Saudi Arabia (7), Bahrain (8), and Vietnam (9).
The fourth pot (Pot 4) is formed by Afghanistan (10), Iraq (11), and Uzbekistan (12).
The winners and silver medalists of each group, as well as the two best third-placed teams, will advance to the playoff stage of the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup Thailand 2026.