AFC Announces Plan for Nations League

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — The Asian Football Confederation announced on Sunday its plan to introduce an AFC Nations League, a new competition designed to improve the quality and competitiveness of international matches among its 47 member associations.

The governing body for football in Asia stated that the initiative addresses growing challenges in scheduling international fixtures during FIFA-designated windows. Officials cited limited availability of suitable opponents, increasing operational costs and logistical difficulties as factors that have reduced the sporting value of these games. After an internal review and consultations with stakeholders, the AFC decided in principle to launch the league, which will utilize existing FIFA international breaks to create a more structured and predictable framework for national teams.

"The effective utilization of the FIFA international match windows has become increasingly challenging due to limited opponent availability, rising operational costs and logistical complexities, often diminishing the sporting value of international fixtures," the AFC said in a statement. The league aims to provide teams with more meaningful games against...