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Revision as of 08:14, 14 March 2023

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)
File:AFC Asian Qualifiers.png
Tournament details
Dates12 October 2023 – October 2025
Teams47 (from 1 confederation)
← 2022
2030 →
AFC Asian Qualifiers
FIFA World Cup
AFC Asian Cup

The Asian section of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification will act as qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be held in Canada, the United States and Mexico for national teams who are members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). A total of 8+1⁄3 slots (8 direct slots and 1 inter-confederation play-off slot) in the final tournament are available for AFC teams.[1]

The qualification process involves five rounds; the first two double as the qualification for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.

Format

The qualification structure was revamped to fit the eight-team slot and it is as follows:[2]

  • First round:[note 1] 22 teams (ranked 26–47) will play home-and-away over two legs. The eleven winners advance to the second round.
  • Second round:[note 2] 36 teams (ranked 1–25 and eleven first-round winners) are divided into nine groups of four teams. The teams would play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The nine group winners and group runners-up advance to the third round and automatically qualify to the AFC Asian Cup.
  • Third round:[note 3] 18 teams which advance from the second round are divided into three groups of six teams. The teams would play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The top two teams of each group qualify directly for the FIFA World Cup, the third and fourth-placed teams advance to the fourth round.
  • Fourth round:[note 4] Six third and fourth-placed teams from the third round are divided into two groups of three teams each. The teams would play against each other once in a neutral venue. The winners of each group qualify for the World Cup, and the runners-up of each group advance to the fifth round.
  • Fifth round:[note 4] The group runners-up in the fourth round will compete in a play-off tie to determine the Asian representation at the inter-confederation play-offs. The format of the play-off tie is unknown.

Entrants

All 46 AFC-affiliated nations also affiliated to FIFA are eligible for qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Northern Mariana Islands – who are AFC-affiliated but not FIFA-affiliated – can, at the furthest, play the second round in order to qualify for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. The FIFA World Rankings of the AFC nations at the time of the draw will be used to determine which nations will compete in the first round. For seeding in the second round and third round draws, the most recent FIFA Rankings prior to these draws will be used.

According to the joint format of the World Cup and Asian Cup qualifiers, Saudi Arabia (as the host nation of the 2027 Asian Cup) will also enter the second round of the qualifiers.[2][3]

From the December 2022 FIFA World Rankings[4]
Bye to the second round
(Ranked 1st to 25th) 		Competing in first round
(Ranked 26th to 47th)
  1.  Japan (20)
  2.  Iran (24)
  3.  South Korea (25)
  4.  Australia (27)
  5.  Saudi Arabia (49)
  6.  Qatar (60)
  7.  Iraq (68)
  8.  United Arab Emirates (70)
  9.  Oman (75)
  10.  Uzbekistan (77)
  11.  China (80)
  12.  Jordan (84)
  13.  Bahrain (85)
  14.  Syria (90)
  15.  Palestine (93)
  16.  Kyrgyzstan (94)
  17.  Vietnam (96)
  18.  Lebanon (100)
  19.  India (106)
  20.  Tajikistan (108)
  21.  Thailand (111)
  22.  North Korea (112)
  23.  Philippines (134)
  24.  Turkmenistan (135)
  25.  Malaysia (145)
  1.  Hong Kong (146)
  2.  Kuwait (148)
  3.  Indonesia (151)
  4.  Yemen (154)
  5.  Afghanistan (155)
  6.  Maldives (156)
  7.  Chinese Taipei (157)
  8.  Myanmar (159)
  9.  Singapore (160)
  10.    Nepal (175)
  11.  Cambodia (177)
  12.  Macau (182)
  13.  Mongolia (183)
  14.  Bhutan (185)
  15.  Laos (187)
  16.  Brunei (190)
  17.  Bangladesh (192)
  18.  Pakistan (195)
  19.  East Timor (197)
  20.  Guam (205)
  21.  Sri Lanka (207; suspended)
  22.  Northern Mariana Islands (N/A)

Schedule

The schedule of the competition is expected to be as follows, according to the FIFA International Match Calendar.[5][6]

Round Matchday Date(s)
First round First leg 12 October 2023
Second leg 17 October 2023
Second round Matchday 1 16 November 2023
Matchday 2 21 November 2023
Matchday 3 21 March 2024
Matchday 4 26 March 2024
Matchday 5 6 June 2024
Matchday 6 11 June 2024
Round Matchday Date
Third round Matchday 1 5 September 2024
Matchday 2 10 September 2024
Matchday 3 10 October 2024
Matchday 4 15 October 2024
Matchday 5 14 November 2024
Matchday 6 19 November 2024
Matchday 7 20 March 2025
Matchday 8 25 March 2025
Matchday 9 19 June 2025
Matchday 10 24 June 2025
Fourth round Matchday 1 September 2025
Matchday 2
Matchday 3
Fifth round Un­known October 2025

First round

Main article: 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC first round
Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
TBD TBD
TBD TBD
TBD TBD
TBD TBD
TBD TBD
TBD TBD
TBD TBD
TBD TBD
TBD TBD
TBD TBD
TBD TBD

Second round

Main article: 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC second round
Pot 1 Pot 2 Pot 3 Pot 4
  1.  United Arab Emirates (70)
  2.  Saudi Arabia (49)
  3.  Qatar (60)
  4.  Australia (27)
  5.  Iran (20)
  6.  South Korea (25)
  7.  Iraq (68)
  8.  Japan (20)
  9.  Oman (75)
  1.  Bahrain (85)
  2.  Jordan (84)
  3.  China (80)
  4.  Uzbekistan (77)
  5.  Syria (90)
  6.  Palestine (93)
  7.  Kyrgyzstan (94)
  8.  Vietnam (96)
  9.  Lebanon (100)
  1.  India (106)
  2.  Tajikistan (108)
  3.  Thailand (111)
  4.  North Korea (112)
  5.  Philippines (134)
  6.  Turkmenistan (135)
  7.  Malaysia (145)
  8. Winner R1
  9. Winner R1
  1. Winner R1
  2. Winner R1
  3. Winner R1
  4. Winner R1
  5. Winner R1
  6. Winner R1
  7. Winner R1
  8. Winner R1
  9. Winner R1

Group A

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification Qatar Kuwait India Afghanistan
1  Qatar 6 5 1 0 18 3 +15 16 World Cup qualifying third round and Asian Cup — 3–0 2–1 8–1
2  Kuwait 6 2 1 3 6 6 0 7 1–2 — 0–1 1–0
3  India 6 1 2 3 3 7 −4 5 Asian Cup qualifying third round 0–3 0–0 — 1–2
4  Afghanistan 6 1 2 3 3 14 −11 5 0–0 0–4 0–0 —
Source: FIFA AFC
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Group B

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification Japan North Korea Syria Myanmar
1  Japan 6 6 0 0 24 0 +24 18 World Cup qualifying third round and Asian Cup — 1–0 5–0 5–0
2  North Korea 6 3 0 3 11 7 +4 9 0–3[a] — 1–0 4–1
3  Syria 6 2 1 3 9 12 −3 7 Asian Cup qualifying third round 0–5 1–0 — 7–0
4  Myanmar 6 0 1 5 3 28 −25 1 0–5 1–6 1–1 —
Source: FIFA AFC
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Notes:
  1. ^ Japan were awarded a 3–0 victory by forfeit, after North Korea refused to host the match citing concerns about a disease spreading in Japan.

Group C

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification South Korea China Thailand Singapore
1  South Korea 6 5 1 0 20 1 +19 16 World Cup qualifying third round and Asian Cup — 1–0 1–1 5–0
2  China 6 2 2 2 9 9 0 8[a] 0–3 — 1–1 4–1
3  Thailand 6 2 2 2 9 9 0 8[a] Asian Cup qualifying third round 0–3 1–2 — 3–1
4  Singapore 6 0 1 5 5 24 −19 1 0–7 2–2 1–3 —
Source: FIFA AFC
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Head-to-head points: China 4, Thailand 1.

Group D

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification Oman Kyrgyzstan Malaysia Chinese Taipei
1  Oman 6 4 1 1 11 2 +9 13 World Cup qualifying third round and Asian Cup — 1–1 2–0 3–0
2  Kyrgyzstan 6 3 2 1 13 7 +6 11 1–0 — 1–1 5–1
3  Malaysia 6 3 1 2 9 9 0 10 Asian Cup qualifying third round 0–2 4–3 — 3–1
4  Chinese Taipei 6 0 0 6 2 17 −15 0 0–3 0–2 0–1 —
Source: FIFA AFC
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Group E

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification Iran Uzbekistan Turkmenistan Hong Kong
1  Iran 6 4 2 0 16 4 +12 14 World Cup qualifying third round and Asian Cup — 0–0 5–0 4–0
2  Uzbekistan 6 4 2 0 13 4 +9 14 2–2 — 3–1 3–0
3  Turkmenistan 6 0 2 4 4 14 −10 2 Asian Cup qualifying third round 0–1 1–3 — 0–0
4  Hong Kong 6 0 2 4 4 15 −11 2 2–4 0–2 2–2 —
Source: FIFA AFC
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Group F

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification Iraq Indonesia Vietnam Philippines
1  Iraq 6 6 0 0 17 2 +15 18 World Cup qualifying third round and Asian Cup — 5–1 3–1 1–0
2  Indonesia 6 3 1 2 8 8 0 10 0–2 — 1–0 2–0
3  Vietnam 6 2 0 4 6 10 −4 6 Asian Cup qualifying third round 0–1 0–3 — 3–2
4  Philippines 6 0 1 5 3 14 −11 1 0–5 1–1 0–2 —
Source: FIFA AFC
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Group G

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification Jordan Saudi Arabia Tajikistan Pakistan
1  Jordan 6 4 1 1 16 4 +12 13 World Cup qualifying third round and Asian Cup — 0–2 3–0 7–0
2  Saudi Arabia[a] 6 4 1 1 12 3 +9 13 World Cup qualifying third round 1–2 — 1–0 4–0
3  Tajikistan 6 2 2 2 11 7 +4 8 Asian Cup qualifying third round 1–1 1–1 — 3–0
4  Pakistan 6 0 0 6 1 26 −25 0 0–3 0–3 1–6 —
Source: FIFA AFC
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Notes:
  1. ^ Saudi Arabia already qualified for the Asian Cup as the host nation and only competed to qualify for the World Cup.

Group H

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification United Arab Emirates Bahrain Yemen Nepal
1  United Arab Emirates 6 5 1 0 16 2 +14 16 World Cup qualifying third round and Asian Cup — 1–1 2–1 4–0
2  Bahrain 6 3 2 1 11 3 +8 11 0–2 — 0–0 3–0
3  Yemen 6 1 2 3 5 9 −4 5 Asian Cup qualifying third round 0–3 0–2 — 2–2
4    Nepal 6 0 1 5 2 20 −18 1 0–4 0–5 0–2 —
Source: FIFA AFC
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Group I

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification Australia State of Palestine Lebanon Bangladesh
1  Australia 6 6 0 0 22 0 +22 18 World Cup qualifying third round and Asian Cup — 5–0 2–0 7–0
2  Palestine 6 2 2 2 6 6 0 8 0–1 — 0–0 5–0
3  Lebanon 6 1 3 2 5 8 −3 6 Asian Cup qualifying third round 0–5 0–0 — 4–0
4  Bangladesh 6 0 1 5 1 20 −19 1 0–2 0–1 1–1 —
Source: FIFA AFC
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Third round

Main article: 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC third round

Group A

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 A1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2026 FIFA World Cup
2 A2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 A3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Fourth round
4 A4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 A5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 A6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: [citation needed]

Group B

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 B1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2026 FIFA World Cup
2 B2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 B3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Fourth round
4 B4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 B5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 B6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: [citation needed]

Group C

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 C1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2026 FIFA World Cup
2 C2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 C3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Fourth round
4 C4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 C5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 C6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: [citation needed]

Fourth round

Main article: 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC fourth round

Group A

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 A1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2026 FIFA World Cup
2 A2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Fifth round
3 A3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: [citation needed]

Group B

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 B1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2026 FIFA World Cup
2 B2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Fifth round
3 B3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: [citation needed]

Fifth round

Main article: 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC fifth round

The two second-placed teams in each group from the fourth round played against each other to determine which team advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs.

Team 1  Score  Team 2
TBD TBD

Inter-confederation play-off

Main article: 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (inter-confederation play-offs)
Team 1  Score  Team 2
TBD TBD


See also

Notes

  1. ^ Listed on the official AFC website as Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1
  2. ^ Listed on the official AFC website as Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2
  3. ^ Listed on the official AFC website as AFC Asian Qualifiers
  4. ^ a b Listed on the official AFC website as Asian Playoff

References

  1. ^ "Unanimous decision expands FIFA World Cup to 48 teams from 2026". FIFA. 10 January 2017. Archived from the original on 10 January 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Asia's pathway to the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup 2027 confirmed". AFC. 1 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Saudi Arabia confirmed as hosts of the AFC Asian Cup 2027". AFC. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  4. ^ "FIFA World Rankings". FIFA. 22 December 2022.
  5. ^ "AFC Competitions Calendar (Aug 2023 - Jul 2024)" (PDF). Asian Football Confederation.
  6. ^ "AFC Competitions Calendar (Aug 2024 - Jul 2025)" (PDF). Asian Football Confederation.
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