The 1988 AFC Youth Championship were held between October 17 and October 28 in Doha, capital of Qatar. Eight teams entered the final tournament, playing for the Asian Youth title and a spot at the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship in Saudi Arabia.
Iraq won the tournament, beating Syria 4–3 after a penalty shootout. Hosts Qatar grabbed the third place.
The Iraqi team qualified for the World Cup Finals, whereas Syria and Qatar had to enter a play-off round against Australia and New Zealand. Syria won the tournament which was hosted in January 1989 in Aleppo.
The following teams qualified for the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship.