Asian Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup: Everything You Need to Know!

July 31, 2024 2 min read

The Asian Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup are in full swing and promise to be an exciting event. Here we bring you all the important details about dates, slots, format, and the fixture of this thrilling process.

Key Dates and Available Slots

The road to the 2026 World Cup began on October 12, 2023, and will extend until November 2025. With the tournament’s expansion to 48 teams, Asia could have up to 9 representatives: 8 direct slots and one additional through the intercontinental playoff. This is a significant increase compared to previous editions, heightening competition and excitement in every match.

Qualifiers Format

The qualification process has been divided into several phases:

First and Second Round: Starting with a preliminary round among the 20 lowest-ranked teams in the FIFA ranking, resulting in ten home-and-away matches. The winners advanced to the first group stage, and from there, 36 teams competed, leaving only 18.
Third Round: These 18 teams have been divided into three groups of six teams each. The top two from each group will qualify directly for the World Cup.
Fourth Round: The third and fourth-placed teams will form two groups of three, from which the winners will also secure their spot in the World Cup. These rounds will be played between September 2024 and June 2025.
Intercontinental Playoff: The runners-up from the fourth round will face each other in home-and-away matches to determine who will play in the intercontinental playoff.

Third Round Groups

With the competition heating up, here are the groups:

Group A: Iran, Qatar, Uzbekistan, United Arab Emirates, Kyrgyzstan, North Korea.
Group B: South Korea, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Palestine, Kuwait.
Group C: Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, China, Indonesia.

Eliminated Teams

Along the tough road, some teams have already been eliminated. They include:

First Round: Guam, Mongolia, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, East Timor, Macau, Maldives, Bhutan, Laos, and Brunei.
Second Round: India, Afghanistan, Syria, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Chinese Taipei, Turkmenistan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Philippines, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Nepal, Lebanon, and Bangladesh.

Stay Informed and Excited

The Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup offer not only high-quality football but also stories of struggle and perseverance. Follow each match and support your favorite team on their journey to global glory.

For more details and updates, follow our page Road to the World Cup and don’t miss any news about this exciting journey.