U17 asian cups

Suzhou Sports Centre Stadium: Tears flowed across one dugout at the Suzhou Sports Centre Stadium after the final whistle. Several Indian players dropped to the ground in disappointment; others stood frozen in silence, while coaches and teammates moved around trying to console one another. India had come within one match of a historic FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualification, and the pain of seeing that dream slip away was visible on every face after the 0-3 quarter-final defeat against hosts China on Monday.

“It is hard for me to speak because we did not expect this result,” said India centre-back Abhista Basnett after the match, as quoted by AIFF. “We came into the match with a different mentality, but football is like that sometimes. Still, I am happy and proud of the way we performed throughout the tournament and the unity we showed as a team. It is sad that we were just one step away from our dream, but I am really proud of this team.”

India’s campaign in the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup China 2026 ultimately ended in the quarter-finals, but it still marked the country’s best-ever performance in the tournament. India women became the first-ever Indian team to make the quarter-finals at the U17 women’s level.