Subway Australian U23s squad confirmed for the AFC Asian Cup™ Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers

The Subway Australian U-23s’ squad, travelling to the AFC U23 Asian Cup™ Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers, has been revealed today.

A 24 -player squad has been confirmed to compete in Group D alongside China PR (host), Northern Mariana Islands and Timor-Leste in Xi’an, China PR during the 1-9 September FIFA window.

Subway Australian U-23s Head Coach, Tony Vidmar said the named squad is a mix of Isuzu UTE A-League Men’s talent along with a few players who currently represent clubs overseas.
 

 

 

 

 

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“With the exception of Kealey Adamson (Queens Park Rangers FC), Giuseppe Bovalina (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Jed Drew (TSV Hartberg) and Adrian Segecic (Portsmouth FC) we have representation from multiple clubs in the Isuzu UTE A-League,” Vidmar said.

“The selected players represent the view the team and I have had, in the lead up to this competition, that we wanted to work with new and existing talent across a range of leagues and clubs to build greater depth across the squad.

“We have also worked hard to develop the squad and create opportunities for players to show us their individual qualities over the last six months and provide experiences that will set them up for the Asian Cup Qualifiers this September.

“Having a mix of players from overseas and Australia, who have been getting plenty of minutes at their respective clubs, has meant we are taking a strong and competitive squad to the AFC U23 Asian Cup™ Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers in China PR.

“This is a great tournament to be a part of and will provide an excellent experience for the group.

“I’m excited by the group we have named today, and I am looking forward to seeing them perform on the pitch,” Vidmar concluded.

Subway Australian U23s Head Coach, Tony Vidmar has decided to name an additional squad member and will finalise the final 23-player squad prior to the FIFA window commencing on 1 September.

Qualifiers for the 7th edition of the AFC U23 Asian Cup™ – to be held in Saudi Arabia – will feature 44 teams, who will be divided into 11 groups. 

Each group within qualifying will be contested in a centralised league format, with teams seeded into pots based on a points system derived from their final rankings across the previous three editions of the Finals, which saw the Subway Australian U-23s drawn from Pot 1.

The squad will need to finish as one of the 11 Group winners or the four best second-placed teams to advance to the Finals. 

For a complete list of Qualifying Groups for the AFC U23 Asian Cup™ Saudi Arabia 2026 please click here. 

Subway Australian U-23s match details are as follows:

Australia v Northern Mariana Islands
Date: Wednesday, 3 September 2025 
Kick-off: 3:30pm (local time) / 5.30pm AEST
Location: Xi’an Sports Training Centre, Xi’an, China PR

Australia v Timor-Leste
Date: Saturday, 6 September 2025 
Kick-off: 3:30pm (local time) / 5.30pm AEST
Location: Xi’an Sports Training Centre, Xi’an, China PR

Australia v China PR
Date: Tuesday, 9 September 2025 
Kick-off: 7:35pm (local time) / 9:35pm AEST
Location: Xi’an International Football Centre, Xi’an, China PR

AUSTRALIAN U-23 SQUAD | AFC U23 ASIAN CUP™ SAUDI ARABIA 2026 QUALIFIERS | 1-9 SEPTEMBER