Two goals from Kosei Ogura and strikes from Yuto Ozeki and Ryunosuke Sato (the tournament’s top scorer) made Japan the first team to defend the title.
Japan were dominant throughout the tournament, conceding just one goal on their way to the final. That goal conceded came in the quarter-final against Jordan, which ended 1-1 after extra time, before Japan won the penalty shoot-out 4-2.
In the semi-finals, Japan defeated South Korea 1-0.
China, who had finished second in their group behind Australia, drew 0–0 with Uzbekistan in the quarter-finals but won 4–2 on penalties. In the semi-finals they defeated Vietnam 3-0 before encountering an unstoppable Japan.
Japan opened the scoring in the final in the 12th minute when Ozeki converted Furuya’s cutback. After 20 minutes, Japan led 2–0, with Ogura pounced on a loose ball and smashed it into the bottom left corner.
Liu Haofan’s handball in the second half saw Sato convert from the spot to take his total to four goals. Ogura scored his second from distance with a shot that took a slight deflection before ending up in the bottom right corner of the net.
Japan entered the tournament as favorites despite having one of the youngest teams.
“By taking an early lead (in the final) and then scoring our second goal, we were able to effectively control the match. However, we remained fully focused until the final whistle and never let our guard down,” said Japanese head coach Go Iowa.
“We have played some tough matches and have improved step by step. I expect future competitions will also feature many high-competition matches, so we want to make sure we prepare well for these big tournaments.”
Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, the President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), congratulated Japan on their record-extending third AFC U23 Asian Cup title.
“Japan deserves our sincere praise for emerging as worthy champions and we must also commend both the Japan Football Association and the Chinese Football Association for their commitment to building world-class youth development systems,” Salman said.
“This latest success is indeed a testament to the Japanese football ecosystem, and I am confident that this victory will generate more interest in our beautiful game and inspire a new generation of football fans and players.”
He also thanked the Saudis who will host the Champions League Elite Finals Jeddah 2026 and the AFC Asian Cup in 2027.
“The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) and the Saudi Arabian leadership have continued to underline their ambitions in recent years to cement the Kingdom’s position as an unparalleled destination for sports and football, and I must acknowledge the AFC’s gratitude for their steadfast support,” Salman said.
“Not for the first time, the SAFF and the Local Organizing Committee have demonstrated their exceptional hosting capabilities and the AFC will continue to work closely with them to support their vision.”
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