AHMEDABAD (India) - Both the schedule and groupings of the 2026 FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2026 have been set and so, we now know when and how exactly the games would be in the August 13-23 showpiece.
With that said, we now take a look at some of the matchups you shouldn't miss in the upcoming tilt to be held at the Veer Savarkar Indoor Stadium.
Chinese Taipei versus Philippines
August 13, 2026 13:30 local time
It's going to be a tiebreaker of sorts for these proud programs. Per available records, the Philippines and Chinese Taipei have met a total of six times in the U18 Asia Cup, and have won against each other thrice (3-3).
Their last meeting was during the 2022 competitions in Iran, which saw Gilas Youth come away with the 72-67 decision behind star winger Mason Amos' 21 points and 6 rebounds during the Classification Rounds.
It was also the Filipino dribblers' second straight win against Chinese Taipei. The latter, by the way, last won against their Southeast Asian counterparts back in the 2016 edition: an 88-74 result in the Group Phase.
Who's taking it this time?
Bahrain versus Lebanon
August 13, 2026 19:30 local time
Per available records, it's going to be the first time that Bahrain and Lebanon are facing one another in the U18 Asia Cup. However, both the teams from the Middle East have become quite familiar with one another.
That's because of the FIBA U16 Asia Cup last year in Mongolia. The two met in the Group Phase, with the Gulf team led by Somto Patrick and Hassan Abdulkadir while the West Asian side was bannered by Johnny Sawma.
The result? Bahrain won narrowly, 70-68. Needless to say, that loss left a bitter taste in the Cedars' mouths, but they could earn some measure of payback as these same faces are expected to see action in Ahmedabad.
China versus Sri Lanka
August 14, 2026 10:30 local time
Traditional powerhouse China will open their campaign on August 14 although much of the attention is drawn on their foes in Sri Lanka, who's bound to embark on a historic journey in the biennial youth contest.
Because this will be the first U18 Asia Cup appearance in 16 years. The last time they competed in this event was in 2010, where they finished at 14th in the tournament eventually won by, coincidentally, China.
Can the SABA Qualifiers' runners-up make some noise?
Iran versus Qatar
August 14, 2026 13:30 local time
Both Iran and Qatar have a score to settle in this bout. Per available records, the two have split their meetings in this stage, with Iran winning their most recent clash convincingly, 82-45, back in 2022 at home.
Will the young Team Melli be able to replicate such an impressive victory?
What's certain, though, is that the Qataris wouldn't want a repeat of that humiliating defeat. And they could be coming in with a more experienced squad this time, likely to be led by rising star Abdulla Mousa.
China versus Iran
August 18, 2026 10:30 local time
Aside from repeating against Qatar, the Iranians would want to beat China once again. They did just that back in 2016 in Tehran, coming away with a close 62-59 decision in the Quarter-Finals to reach the final four.
It was actually their first win against Team Dragon in U18 play and that character-testing victory proved crucial later in the tourney, as they went on to snare the championship by beating Japan, 71-65, for gold no. 3.
Still, as far as head-to-head records are concerned, the edge belongs to China, 2-1. It would be interesting to see if they can get back at the WABA powerhouse to add on to the lead, or if the latter could equalize.
Korea versus Japan
August 18, 2026 16:30 local time
It was just four years ago when these two fought for U18 Asia Cup supremacy and now, Korea and Japan are bound to meet for another time - their first match against each other in about two years.
Both the East Asian contenders squared off during the 2024 U18 Asia Cup Classification Round, with the Koreans escaping by way of a 74-70 result thanks to Daniel Edi's clutch free throws in the dying seconds.
That win stretched their winning streak to four games against Japan - highlighted by their pulsating 77-73 victory in the 2022 Final to win their fourth title overall - and grow their head-to-head record to 6-1 as well.
How will the Japanese respond?
India versus Kazakhstan
August 18, 2026 19:30 local time
It's the final game of the Group Phase and it could be a crucial one for both India and Kazakhstan.
They're situated in a tough Group D with Korea and Japan, and the bout could determine which of them will advance as the second and third-ranked teams in the pools will play in the Qualification to Quarter-Finals.
And of the two, the SABA contenders are coming in hoping to get over the hump. Back in 2024 in Jordan, they managed to reach the Quarter-Finals only to get blasted by China, who went all the way to the Final.
FIBA