Afghanistan’s national futsal team continues its remarkable rise on the international stage, climbing the FIFA futsal rankings and earning a place among Asia’s elite ahead of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026, set to take place in Indonesia from January 27 to February 7 2026. 

In the latest FIFA futsal rankings released this month, Afghanistan moved further up the global ladder, reflecting the team’s steady progress, improved performances and growing reputation in international competitions. 

The ranking surge highlights years of development and investment in futsal, a sport that has rapidly gained popularity across the country. 

The team’s ascent follows a historic breakthrough in 2024, when Afghanistan qualified for the FIFA Futsal World Cup for the first time. 

That milestone achievement marked a turning point for Afghan futsal, exposing the squad to top-level international competition and significantly boosting confidence and experience among players and coaching staff. 

Building on that momentum, Afghanistan delivered an impressive campaign in the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers, held from 20 to 24 September 2025.  

Drawn into a competitive group, the Afghan side produced commanding performances, including a 10–1 victory in their opening match and an emphatic 8–0 win in their final group fixture on September 24, 2025, securing top spot and automatic qualification for the main tournament. 

The dominant displays underlined Afghanistan’s attacking strength, tactical discipline and growing maturity on the futsal court. Observers noted that the team showed composure, speed and cohesion, traits that have become hallmarks of Afghanistan’s recent success. 

The official draw for the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026 has now been confirmed, with anticipation building ahead of the tournament in Indonesia. Scheduled to run from January 27 to February 7, 2026, the competition will bring together Asia’s strongest futsal nations, offering Afghanistan a major platform to test itself against the continent’s best. 

Afghanistan’s participation in the Asian Cup is being hailed as another milestone for national sport, particularly for futsal, which has emerged as one of the country’s most successful disciplines in recent years.  

Football officials and fans alike see the tournament as an opportunity not only to compete, but also to further elevate Afghanistan’s standing in Asian and global futsal. 

ATN to broadcast AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026 live and exclusively 

Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) has confirmed it will broadcast the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026 live and exclusively on Ariana Television across Afghanistan, ensuring fans nationwide can follow every moment of the tournament. 

The exclusive coverage reinforces Ariana Television’s role as the country’s premier destination for major international sporting events. 

Fans can stay fully up to date by following Ariana News and Ariana Television across official social media platforms, where match schedules, kick-off times, broadcast dates and the latest updates will be shared regularly. 

Viewers are encouraged to follow these pages to ensure they don’t miss a moment of the world-class futsal action being brought to screens across Afghanistan. 

Vietnam and Saudi Arabia both opened their AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 campaigns with victories on Tuesday, securing early momentum in the race for the quarter-finals.

Vietnam enjoyed a confident start as first-half goals guided Kim Sang-sik’s side to a 2-0 win over Jordan. The Southeast Asian team asserted themselves early, testing Jordan goalkeeper Abdelrahman Suleiman through long-range efforts from Khuat Van Khang and Pham Minh Phuc.

Their pressure paid dividends in the 15th minute when Nguyen Dinh Bac calmly converted a penalty following a VAR review that penalized Mohammad Taha for handball. Vietnam continued to capitalize on set-pieces and doubled their advantage in the 42nd minute, with Nguyen Hieu Minh left unmarked at the back post to steer home Van Khang’s inswinging corner.

Jordan pushed harder after the break but were unable to break down a disciplined Vietnamese defense, with Vietnam comfortably seeing out the match to take all three points.

In the other encounter, hosts Saudi Arabia edged debutants Kyrgyz Republic 1-0 thanks to a dramatic late goal from Rakan Al Ghamdi. Despite dominating possession and enjoying a numerical advantage after Arsen Sharshenbekov was sent off in the 34th minute, the 2022 champions were repeatedly denied by an inspired performance from Kyrgyz goalkeeper Kurmanbek Nurlanbekov, who even saved Musab Al Juwayr’s penalty in the second half.

With time running out, Saudi Arabia finally found a breakthrough in the 88th minute when Al Juwayr slipped a clever pass to Al Ghamdi, who rifled his shot past Nurlanbekov to seal the victory.

The results leave Vietnam and Saudi Arabia well placed early in the tournament. Saudi Arabia will face Jordan on Friday, while Kyrgyz Republic will look to bounce back against Vietnam in their next fixture.

Fans can stay fully up to date with all live sporting coverage, including the U23 tournament, by following Ariana News and Ariana Television’s official social media platforms, where match schedules, kick-off times, broadcast dates and the latest updates will be shared regularly.

Viewers are encouraged to follow these pages to ensure they don’t miss a moment of the world-class sporting action being brought to screens across Afghanistan.

Ariana Television Network (ATN) has secured an exceptional lineup of international sports broadcasting rights, bringing some of the world’s biggest sporting events to viewers across Afghanistan in 2026 and beyond. The acquisitions further strengthen ATN’s position as the country’s leading destination for world-class sports coverage.

FIFA World Cup 2026

Headlining ATN’s global sports portfolio is the FIFA World Cup 2026, set to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. The expanded tournament will feature 48 national teams competing across North America, marking the largest World Cup in history. ATN’s coverage will give Afghan fans live access to football’s most prestigious event, uniting millions of viewers around the world’s biggest sporting spectacle.

Asian Football and Futsal: AFC Competitions

ATN has also secured exclusive rights in Afghanistan to broadcast four major Asian Football Confederation (AFC) tournaments. These include the AFC Champions League Elite 2025–26, Asia’s premier club competition featuring the continent’s top teams, as well as the AFC Champions League Two, which showcases emerging clubs and rising talent.

The network further covers the AFC U23 Asian Cup, that started on January 6, 2026, highlighting Asia’s next generation of football stars, and the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026, scheduled from January 27 to February 7. Afghanistan has qualified for the futsal tournament as Group H winners, joining leading teams such as Iran, Japan, and host Indonesia.

Winter Olympic Games

ATN will broadcast the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano–Cortina, Italy (February 6–22, 2026). This is not the first time ATN has covered the Winter Games—ATN also broadcasted Beijing 2022. Viewers will once again be able to enjoy a full slate of winter sports, including alpine skiing, ice hockey, skating, and snowboarding.

Cricket: IPL

Cricket fans in Afghanistan will also enjoy exclusive coverage of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) on ATN. The IPL, one of the world’s most-watched cricket tournaments, features top international stars and high-octane T20 action. Afghan players such as Rashid Khan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Noor Ahmad and Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar will be part of the tournament, inspiring a new generation of cricketers while giving fans a chance to follow every match live, free-to-air. The matches will be held from 26 March to 31 May.

A Commitment to Afghan Viewers

Through these acquisitions, ATN has solidified its position as Afghanistan’s premier sports broadcaster, offering a diverse portfolio that spans football, futsal, cricket, and the Olympics. Fans are encouraged to follow Ariana News and Ariana Television’s official websites and social media channels for updates on match schedules, broadcast times, and coverage details.

From World Cup stadiums in North America to Olympic venues in Europe and elite competitions across Asia, ATN is set to connect Afghanistan with the world’s greatest sporting moments in 2026.