What is noticeable about the make up of the teams to make the final eight (or final 12 as it is until the West Zone completes their postponed Round of 16) is the inclusion of JDT from Malaysia and Buriram United from Thailand.

This isn't the first time the two Southeast Asian giants have made the knockout rounds of the continental competition, but it is the first time they've made it this far since the advent of the AFC Champions League Elite format last season, and they did so at the expense of clubs from Japan and Australia, not to mention the Korean clubs eliminated in the group stage.

It represents a seismic shift in the landscape of Asian club football, but how it came about has people questioning whether this is actually for the betterment of Asian football.

On this week's The Asian Game Podcast, we discuss the AFC's decision to scrap foreign player limits that have allowed JDT and Buriram to field almost exclusively foreign starting XIs and the impact it might have going forward.

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Amid the ongoing war between the United States, Israel and Iran, plenty has been said about Iran's participation at this year's FIFA World Cup, where they are scheduled to play all three group stage mat the United States while in active war with the host nation.

But will Iran actually withdraw?

We discuss that, plus more on the situation, on this week's The Asian Game Podcast.

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AFC dropped a bomb last week with the announcement that it was abandoning the bidding process for the 2031 & 2035 AFC Asian Cups.

This came as a result of FIFA requesting, and AFC approving, a change of the tournament dates to even-numbered years as a result of an upcoming change to the international match calendar.

So what impact will the move have on Asian football? We discuss all of the implications on this week's The Asian Game Podcast.

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Iraq have arrived in Mexico ahead of the FIFA Playoff Tournament to decide the final spots for this year's FIFA World Cup, with the Lions of Mesopotamia to face either Suriname or Bolivia in Monterrey.

But with the ongoing war in the Gulf throwing their preparations into chaos, just how much will it destabilise their preparations? And how is Graham Arnold, who himself was stuck in Dubai, feeling ahead of the sudden death showdown?

We discussed all of that on this week's The Asian Game Podcast.

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On the back of an historic AFC Women's Asian Cup in Japan, that saw record attendance and interest from across the continent, on this week's The Asian Game Podcast we discussed what we learned from this year's tournament.

Can Japan win the Women's World Cup? Is the historic growth and record interest sustainable? How competitive are Asian teams in the global landscape?

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The Asian Game Podcast returns for a bumper episode with so much to discuss from the world of Asian football.

We look back at the AFC Women's Asian Cup and discuss what we learned about Asia's fortunes ahead of next year's FIFA Women's World Cup.

We also look ahead to Iraq's playoff against either Suriname or Bolivia and ask how much their hopes will be hampered by their disrupted preparation, while we also discuss the situation with Iran and their participation in this year's FIFA World Cup in light of the ongoing war.

To finish, we discuss the upcoming AFC Champions League Elite Finals and discuss whether the foreign player rules will forever change Asian football, as well as the bombshell announcement of the AFC shifting the dates of the AFC Asian Cup.

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Icelandic international Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir has played for some of the biggest clubs in women's football, from VfL Wolfsburg, Olympique Lyonnais and Juventus.

Now, she finds herself on a new adventure in Saudi Arabia with the ambitious Al Qadsiah.

In an open and revealing interview for The Asian Game Podcast, she discusses her initial hesitance to the Saudi offer, her new life in the Kingdom and how things really are for the players.

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Goalscoring hero, Maika Hamano, spoke to The Asian Game at Stadium Australia, reflecting on her title-winning goal, the impact of Nils Nielsen, their ambition to win next year's Women's World Cup and playing alongside legendary defender Saki Kumagai.

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Enegmatic Japan coach, Nils Nielsen, spoke to The Asian Game in the immediate aftermath of Japan's 1-0 triumph over Australia at Stadium Australia, declaring his side still need to improve to challenge for silverware at next year's FIFA Women's World Cup.

He also spoke about the Final itself, and how they looked to counter Australia's strengths, what Japan can learn from Australia and the incredible talent that is Maika Hamano.

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Fresh from winning the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup, JFA president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto spoke with reporters about Japan's triumph, the 'easy' decision to appoint Nils Nielsen and Japan's ambition to host the 2039 FIFA Women's World Cup.

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