VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC defender Giuseppe Bovalina has been called up to Australia's U-23 side for their upcoming September international window.
Australia are set to compete in the AFC U-23 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers this window. Qualifiers for the 7th edition of the tournament, to be held in Saudi Arabia, will feature 44 teams that will then 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 Australia's 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.
The team will play three matches during the qualifiers, with the first set to take place on Wednesday, September 3 against Northern Marina Islands at Xi’an Sports Training Centre, in Xi’an, China.
Australia will then face Timor-Leste on Saturday, September 6, also at Xi’an Sports Training Centre, and will wrap up the window against hosts China on Tuesday, September 9 at Xi’an International Football Centre in Xi’an, China.
This marks the third time Bovalina has been called up to Australia's U-23 side.
Since joining Whitecaps FC in April 2024, Bovalina has made three starts and 18 appearances across all competitions for the Blue and White. The 20-year-old recorded his first assist for the club this season in the 3-1 road win over Minnesota United FC on April 27.
