Kuala Lumpur: Asia’s football leaders will once again gather for the landmark Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Member Associations (MAs) & Regional Associations (RAs) Presidents’ and General Secretaries’ Conference, which will take place for a fourth occasion.
Scheduled to take place over two days on October 21 and 22, the 2026 edition of the flagship event will be staged in Japan for the first time as the capital city of Tokyo prepares to welcome over 120 attendees.
Hosted in conjunction with the Japan Football Association (JFA), the highly-acclaimed Conference serves as an important platform to facilitate the sharing of expertise, expand participants' knowledge, exchange ideas, enhance capabilities, and foster networking opportunities.
Since its inception in 2023, the Conference has evolved into a premier stop on the AFC’s annual calendar for the Presidents and General Secretaries across the 47 MAs and five RAs. As with previous iterations in Tashkent, Seoul and Riyadh, expert speakers will headline sessions spanning topics such as AI, global innovation in football, women’s football development and leadership in football, while participants can also benefit from engaging panel discussions.
AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, who will deliver the opening address at this year’s Conference, said: “The AFC remains determined to continually elevate the capabilities of our MAs and RAs, and our progress will advance with another collective step at this year’s Conference.
“The programme has been meticulously planned and designed to ensure that all participants will come away with beneficial insights. As crucial stakeholders in the Asian game, it is imperative that our MAs and RAs are equipped with the requisite tools to maintain the highest professional and governance standards, ensuring a brighter future for the following generations.”
The AFC Member Associations & Regional Associations Presidents’ and General Secretaries’ Conference will feature the following expert speakers:
Mr. Tsuneyasu Miyamoto – JFA President
Mr. Craig Hepburn – CEO and Founding Partner, 1706 Studio
Ms. Jennifer Mellors – Client Partner & Integrity Solutions Manager, Sportradar
Mr. Robert Lawrence Skinner – Chief of Partnerships and Global Engagement, United Nations
Mr. Dinish De Silva – Manager of South Asia Unit, AFC
Ms. Bai Lili – Head of Women's Football Development, AFC
Ms. Jessie Dai Shengying – Head of Competitions Strategy Department, AFC
Mr. Hirokazu Abe – Head of Referees Department, AFC
The Conference will be streamed live on the AFC’s YouTube channel from 11am (GMT+9). For more information, please visit the-AFC.com.