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Japan wins back-to-back U-23 Asian Cup titles in dominant final performance, crushing China 4-0

Published: 25 Jan. 2026, 14:26 Updated: 25 Jan. 2026, 15:06

The Japanese national team celebrates winning the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Jan. 24. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Japan thrashed China 4-0 in the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup final on Saturday to become the first country to win the tournament back-to-back while also becoming the winningest team in competition history with three titles.

The match at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia was one-sided from the start, with Yuto Ozeki opening the scoring in the 12th minute and Kosei Ogura doubling the lead in the 20th minute.

Japan did not hold back and further stretched the lead in the second half. Ryunosuke Sato scored a penalty in the 59th minute before Ogura struck again in the 76th minute for Japan's fourth goal, sealing his side's second straight U-23 Asian Cup title.

Japan now boast three U-23 titles — in 2016, 2024 and 2026 — making them the side with the most titles in tournament history.

The country took the crown with their U-21 squad, which competed in the U-23 Asian Cup in preparation for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics — which is also only for U-23 players.

Japan's younger squad proved throughout this year's tournament that age is just a number, racking up 16 goals and conceding just one across six fixtures.
Sato won the MVP award of the tournament after scoring four goals for Japan.

Korea, on the other hand, lost 1-0 to Japan in the semifinals and finished the competition in fourth after losing to Vietnam — 7-6 on penalties after a 2-2 draw — in the third-place match on Friday.

For Vietnam, the third-place finish under manager Kim Sang-sik marks their second-best run in the competition after their runner-up finish under then-manager Park Hang-seo in 2018.

The Korean national team reacts after losing to Vietnam on penalties in a third-place match at the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup at King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Jan. 23. [NEWS1]

Fourth place is still a better result for the young Taeguk Warriors than their previous finish in the 2024 edition, during which the squad lost to Indonesia in the quarterfinals and failed to qualify for the Olympics for the first time in 40 years.

This year's tournament was not an Olympic qualifying event, like the 2024 edition where top three finishers earned direct tickets to The Games.

Korea took the U-23 Asian Cup title once in 2020, but has failed to reach the final since then.

The U-23 national team will now prepare for the upcoming Asian Games in Japan in the fall, which provides an opportunity for the entire squad to earn military service exemption.

Korean athletes who win gold medals at the Asiad are legally exempt from the country's 18-month mandatory military service, which would otherwise interfere with their careers.

The Asiad also gives players who are above the age of 23 a chance to earn military service exemption, as every country can include three wild card picks over 23 years old. Los Angeles FC forward Son Heung-min was one of the players to benefit from the wild card system in 2018.

A military service exemption is not only important for players' individual careers, but for the future senior national team. Without it, the squad could see regular picks being forced to leave the team ahead of international tournaments.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY LEE HAY-JUNE [[email protected]]