In a special football evening hosted by the city of Jeddah, the President of the Asian Football Confederation, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, crowned the Japanese national team with the title of the AFC U-23 Championship for 2026, after a resounding and well-deserved victory over their Chinese counterparts with a score of 4-0 in the final match that took place yesterday, Saturday, on the grounds of Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, in the presence of the President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, Yasser Al-Mishal.
Details of Japanese control
Both teams entered the match at a fast pace, clearly eager to settle matters early. However, the Japanese team successfully imposed their technical and tactical style from the opening minutes. Japan translated their dominance into two goals in the first half; Yuto Ozeki opened the scoring with a powerful and precise shot in the 12th minute, and his teammate Kosei Ogura doubled the lead in the 20th minute, putting the Chinese team under considerable pressure before the end of the first half.
In the second half, Japan continued their dominance, with referee Faisal Al-Balawi awarding them a well-deserved penalty. Sato stepped up and confidently converted the spot-kick in the 59th minute, scoring Japan's third goal. The Samurai Blue capped off their goal spree with a fourth goal in the 76th minute, courtesy of the in-form Kosei Ogura, who netted his second of the match. The pace of the game slowed in the final minutes as China seemed resigned to defeat, while Japan maintained complete control, ultimately securing a comfortable 4-0 victory.
The Kingdom is a global destination for sports
Hosting this tournament in Saudi Arabia reaffirms its growing status as a leading destination for major sporting events in Asia and globally. The Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah has demonstrated exceptional readiness and outstanding infrastructure, reflecting the significant development of the Kingdom's sports sector within the framework of Vision 2030, which aims to host major international events, thus strengthening Saudi Arabia's strong presence on the international sporting stage.
Japanese football's superiority and the importance of the tournament
This victory is further proof of the success of Japan's youth development system, which serves as a model for the rest of Asia. The AFC U-23 Championship holds immense strategic importance, as it is not only about competing for titles but also a crucial platform for discovering future stars who will represent the senior national teams in the World Cup and major continental tournaments. This resounding win sends a powerful message about the readiness of the next generation of Japanese players to continue their dominance of Asian football in the coming years.
