AFC World Cup Qualifiers smash landmark digital engagement records

The AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar Final Round was the most engaging in history, surpassing all previous editions of Asia’s FIFA World Cup qualifying tournaments with more than 788 million impressions observed on the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)’s digital channels.

Held across 10 Match Days from September 2, 2021, to March 29, 2022, as well as last week’s AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar Playoff between eventual winners Australia and the United Arab Emirates, Asia’s top 12 sides battled across 61 matches with the Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Korea Republic and Saudi Arabia eventually clinching the Continent’s four automatic places, before the Socceroos claimed a record sixth AFC spot to join hosts Qatar.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the lead up to the qualifiers to be postponed on several occasions, but the necessary interruptions did little to dampen the appetite for and consumption of Asian football as passionate fans from across the globe continued to engage in record numbers.

Further underlining the fervour for the Asian game, the 788 million impressions was an astonishing 2,108% increase from the 2016-2017 campaign. At the same time, engagements on the AFC’s social media channels rose immensely across the two editions surging by 2,350% from 2.8 million to 70 million.

The AFC’s YouTube and Instagram platforms led the way in galvanising football fans from all corners of the globe, with 290.9 million and 212.3 million impressions, while Twitter received impressions of 46.3 million and Facebook gathered 142 million.

There was also a stunning 12,530% increase in video views on YouTube, as viewership rose from 1 million in 2016-2017 to 134.6 million in the recently concluded campaign, where nearly 2 million hours of watch time was recorded.

The introduction of several language platforms also contributed to the staggering increase with the newly introduced Mandarin-based channels attaining close to 100 million impressions as the AFC’s Weibo, Toutiao, and Douyin channels garnered 42.6 million, 18.2 million and 35.4 million impressions respectively.

Meanwhile, the world’s most reliable information and coverage hub of Asian football – the-AFC.com – witnessed a notable 155% increase in page views and a 136% increase in users.

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FIFA set new global benchmark for Women’s Football Development

In a landmark initiative for women’s football, FIFA has unveiled an ambitious strategy aimed at reaching 60 million female players worldwide by 2027.

The comprehensive plan, supported by 13 distinct development programmes, is available to all 211 FIFA Member Associations, marking a significant step forward in the sport’s global evolution.

FIFA also took the announcement to highlight the achievements for women’s football in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Oceanic Football Confederation (OFC).

The recently enhanced FIFA Women’s Development Programme underscores the organisation’s strengthened commitment to expanding the women’s game.

The upcoming 2025 calendar promises several groundbreaking developments for women’s football.

The Philippines will host the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup, while Morocco makes history as the first African nation to stage the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

The latter tournament sees significant expansion, growing from 16 to 24 teams and shifting to an annual format.

International competition reaches new heights with continental championships scheduled across multiple confederations.

The pathway to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027 commences with African qualification matches, while major regional tournaments including the UEFA Women’s EURO and OFC Women’s Nations Cup will crown new champions.

In a significant advancement for club football, all six confederations will host their respective continental club championships for the first time.

This renewed focus comes amid unprecedented growth in participation rates, particularly evident in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup co-host nations.

New Zealand has reported a remarkable 27 per cent surge in female participation since 2022, with particularly strong growth among Māori and Pasifika communities, showing a 14 per cent increase.

A strategic partnership between New Zealand Football and Māori Football Aotearoa further strengthens grassroots development.

New Zealand Football CEO Andrew Pragnell voiced the federations successful results.

“The expansion of football and futsal in Aotearoa New Zealand has been extraordinary, with the Women’s World Cup serving as a genuine catalyst for growth,” he explained via official FIFA press release.

Across the Tasman, Football Australia’s Growing Football Fund Community Grants programme continues to foster development at the grassroots level.

The latest round of funding benefits 118 recipients, complementing the 121 projects supported in March 2024.

This initiative particularly emphasises regional development, with nearly half the grants allocated to areas outside major metropolitan centres.

The grants provide essential support for women’s football development, encompassing coach education, introductory programmes, and vital equipment procurement, further cementing the sport’s foundation at the community level.

Also within the AFC, footballing powerhouse Japan has successfully hosted the continent’s first female-exclusive Pro Licence coaching course.

A collaborative effort between FIFA, AFC, and the Japan Football Association (JFA), represents a significant milestone in professional football development.

The intensive seven-day course attracted participants from fourteen nations, featuring presents such as AFC Technical Director Andy Roxburgh and Japan men’s national team coach Hajime Moriyasu.

Participants gained valuable practical experience through observations of pre-season training sessions at both J.League and Nadeshiko League clubs.

JFA Technical Director Masanaga Kageyama emphasised the programme’s strategic importance and inclusivity.

“This course is a joint AFC/JFA initiative to increase the number of top-level, professionally licensed female coaches in Asia. It aims to provide existing talents with additional advice to help them achieve greater success in their current coaching positions and secure future success,” Kageyama explained via official FIFA press release.

This initiative aligns with JFA’s renowned long-term development philosophy and a significant advancement in creating pathways for women in professional football coaching.

This newly improved strategy at the global scale will hopefully allow for more women in both professional and amateur spaces to get the opportunities they deserve in football.

It also highlight’s that AFC & OFC nations, including Australia, will have a strong place within the growth of women’s football.

Read more on the FIFA Women’s Development Program here.

The AFC and Visa Renew Partnership

AFC Visa Partnership

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced a partnership renewal with worldwide digital payments service, Visa.

The rejuvenated collaboration will see Visa become the Official Global Supporter of the AFC’s crown jewel competitions – the AFC Champions League Elite, AFC Women’s Champions League and AFC Champions League Two for both the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons, in addition to the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to 26.

The partnership between the AFC and Visa first bloomed at the AFC Asan Cup Qatar 2023, and will now work to include more regions and provide a variety of exciting new fan experiences such as:

  • The Visa Coin Toss: Selected Visa cardholders will join in the pre-match coin toss with the team captains and officials.
  • Final Whistle Experience: Visa winners will be able to watch the final ten minutes of games from the pitch side.
  • Visa Player Escort Kids Programme: More than 100 children will be granted the opportunity to lead players onto the field at the AFC Champions League Elite Finals.

AFC General Secretary, Datuk Seri Windsor John, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership.

“Building on the incredible success of the greatest-ever AFC Asian Cup™ in history, the AFC is delighted to expand our partnership with Visa and welcome them as an Official Global Supporter of our world-class competitions,” he said via press release.
“The strategic reforms introduced to our competitions are already leaving a lasting impact on our teams and passionate fanbase, and we thank Visa for underlining their confidence in the future of Asian football.”
Visa Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, Tarek Abdulla, outlined the significance of the collaboration for Visa.
We are excited to renew Visa’s partnership with the Asian Football Confederation. This partnership highlights our ongoing dedication to uniting people through the universal language of sports and seamlessly aligns with our brand positioning – uplifting everyone, everywhere,” he said in a press release.
“Visa is proud to be in the unique position of sponsoring both the AFC Asian Qualifiers™ and the FIFA World Cup 2026. This provides opportunities to engage with fans as they follow their national team through the qualifying matches and all the way to the finals of the FIFA World Cup in July 2026. We look forward to creating memorable experiences for fans, local communities and teams alike at upcoming AFC events.”
Visa and the AFC will continue to explore new ways to elevate football for fans across Asia through their partnership in 2025 and beyond.

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