Bangladesh’s women’s national football team made history by qualifying for the **2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup final stage** for the first time. Their **2-1 victory over Myanmar** and a **2-2 draw between Bahrain and Turkmenistan** secured them the **Group C championship** with a match to spare. Bangladesh have 6 points from two matches and will advance regardless of their final group result. This marks only the second time any Bangladeshi team has reached an Asian Cup final stage, following the men’s team in 1980, and establishes a major milestone in the nation’s football history.
Bangladesh secured their spot in the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup final stage after a 2-2 draw between Bahrain and Turkmenistan in Group C confirmed them as group champions with a game to spare.
A historic milestone has been achieved in Bangladesh football as the women’s national team qualifies for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup final stage for the first time ever. This landmark accomplishment came after Bangladesh secured a 2-1 victory over hosts Myanmar in Yangon, a result that virtually guaranteed their spot in the tournament. The team awaited the outcome of their final group match on 5 July.
Later in the evening, a 2-2 draw between Bahrain and Turkmenistan in Group C officially confirmed Bangladesh as group champions with a match to spare, ensuring their qualification for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, set to be held next year in Australia.
In the qualifiers, Bangladesh have amassed 6 points from two matches, while Myanmar have 3 points and both Bahrain and Turkmenistan have 1 point each. Even if Bangladesh were to lose their final match and Myanmar won theirs to also finish on 6 points, Bangladesh would still top the group thanks to their head-to-head victory over Myanmar. Only the group winners from the qualifiers advance to the tournament.
Bangladesh are the first team from the qualifiers to secure a spot, joining Australia (hosts), Japan, South Korea, and China, who had already qualified based on their performance in the previous edition.
This achievement marks only the second time any Bangladeshi national team has played in an Asian Cup final stage. The men’s national team previously participated in 1980 in Kuwait, but since then, no Bangladeshi team had managed to qualify. Currently, the men’s team faces a challenging road in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, with just one point from their first two matches.
This historic qualification demonstrates that the dreams of Bangladeshi athletes are attainable, and the women’s national team has set a shining example, inspiring the nation and proving that hard work, determination, and teamwork can make history.
