The first quarter-final pairing at the AFC Asian Cup 2026 Finals has been determined.

The opening quarter-final fixture for the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 is set to be a showdown between host Australia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The initial quarter-final pairing at the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 Finals has been determined as a contest between the host team Australia and the women's national team of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Accordingly, on March 9th, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea suffered a 2-1 comeback loss to China, securing passage through the group stage as the runner-up in Group B.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea scored the opening goal in the 32nd minute. From a sprint down the right flank, Han Jin Hong delivered a favorable cross, allowing Kim Kyong Yong to finish accurately, putting the East Asian team ahead 1-0.

However, the situation changed immediately afterward. Within just two minutes, the Chinese women's team equalized from a set-piece situation. Before the first half concluded, they further advanced to lead 2-1 thanks to a goal by Wang Shuang.

In the second half, the match became tighter as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea pushed for an equalizer while China focused on reinforcing their defense. In the 80th minute, North Korea nearly leveled the score through a shot by Choe Il Son, but the goal was not recognized due to an offside violation.

Not securing the top spot in the group forces the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to face host Australia directly in the quarter-finals. This match promises an exciting chase between the reigning Asian champions.

On the other side, China will only have to face the runner-up of Group C in the quarter-finals. Notably, that is precisely the group of the Vietnamese women's national team.

At this point, the tournament has confirmed 6 out of 8 quarter-finalists: South Korea, Australia, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, China, Uzbekistan, and Japan. The remaining two spots will be finalized after the matches on March 10th, where Vietnam will confront a major challenge named Japan.