Dreaming of debut
Out of the 43 teams participating in the qualifiers, 31 sides have previously featured in the Finals. The 12 nations hoping to make their debut are Cambodia, Philippines, Macau, Bhutan, Maldives, Brunei Darussalam, Chinese Taipei, Palestine, Mongolia, Northern Mariana Islands, Lebanon and Guam.

Battle of champions
Six out of the 10 groups contain former champions with four-time winners Japan (1994, 2006, 2018, 2023) drawn in Group F with Qatar, who triumphed in 1990. Two other groups also feature two former champions each battling for qualification with Islamic Republic of Iran (2008) and DPR Korea (2010, 2014) in Group A while Group E has Iraq (2016) and Uzbekistan (2012).

Making of stars
The competition has a rich history of unearthing the next generation of Asian stars with many luminaries gracing previous editions, none more obvious than Son Heung-min who helped Korea Republic finish runners-up in 2008. Other who have featured in this competition include Sardar Azmoun (IR Iran, 2010), Takumi Minamino (Japan, 2010), Hwang Hee-chan (Korea Republic, 2012), Meshaal Barsham (Qatar, 2014) and Ali Jasim (Iraq, 2018)

Record extending aim
From the first edition in 1985 until the 17th edition in 2016, no team managed to retain the title but that run was broken in the last edition in 2023 when Japan successfully defended their title after defeating Korea Republic 3-0 in the final. Should they navigate their way to the Finals, they will be looking to be the first nation to win the competition three times in a row.

World stage awaits
As the teams look to make their way to the Finals, becoming champions of the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2025 is not only the prize. With the FIFA U-17 World Cup being expanded to 48 teams beginning the 2025 edition in Qatar, there will be more spots up for grabs for Asian teams in the continental showpiece.