For the first time in their history, the Bangladesh women’s football team have qualified for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, set to be held from 1 to 21 March 2026 in Australia. The tournament will feature 12 nations competing across three host cities: Sydney, Perth and the Gold Coast.
The official group stage draw will take place on 29 July in Sydney. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), using the latest FIFA rankings from 12 June 2025, has divided the qualified teams into four pots, with each pot containing three teams. One team from each pot will be drawn into each group.
Bangladesh have been placed in Pot 4, meaning they will avoid fellow South Asian sides India and Iran in the group stage. While they are likely to face a top-tier side from Pot 1 and a mid-ranked team from Pot 2, there remains hope for a favourable draw.
Pot 1 features hosts Australia, defending champions Japan and North Korea, all of whom are global heavyweights. Pot 2 includes China (ranked 17th), South Korea (21st) and Vietnam (37th). Of these, Vietnam would represent the most manageable opponent for Bangladesh, given their relatively lower ranking.
Crucially, Bangladesh’s most realistic chance of securing a result will come against the team drawn from Pot 3. This pot includes the Philippines, Chinese Taipei and Uzbekistan, all ranked between 41 and 51. Given Bangladesh recently defeated Myanmar (ranked 55th) during the qualifiers, they will back themselves to compete well against any of the Pot 3 sides.
Progression from the group stage will not be easy, but the format offers some hope. The top two teams from each group, along with the two best third-placed teams, will advance to the quarter-finals. Reaching the last eight would not only mark another significant milestone for Bangladesh but could also potentially open the door to qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games.
The final pots for the draw are as follows:
Pot 1: Australia (hosts), Japan, North Korea
Pot 2: China, South Korea, Vietnam
Pot 3: Philippines, Chinese Taipei, Uzbekistan
Pot 4: Bangladesh, India, Iran