In FIFA Zone AFC, the qualification for the FIFA World Cup is scheduled from October 12, 2023 to November, 2025. In Asia, the 2026 World Cup qualifiers consist of four rounds. This is followed by the FIFA intercontinental play-offs. A total of 46 FIFA / AFC countries will participate in the Asian World Cup football qualifiers. Eight or nine of these Asian countries qualify for the final round. They will be among a record 48 teams taking part in the finals of the 2026 World Cup football in North America. The schedule and the groups of the qualification of the AFC countries for the FIFA World Cup soccer, with all matches, dates, times, and locations, are listed here.
- 46 countries participate in the Asian qualifiers;
- Round 1 (preliminary) | 12-17 October, 2023
Twenty participants; each plays against one of the other countries, home and away. The ten winners advance; - Round 2 (preliminary) | November 16, 2023 – June 11, 2024
36 participants, of which 26 incoming countries, play in nine groups of four. Eighteen countries, the top two of each group, will advance. Side note: they also qualify for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup; - Round 3 | September 5, 2024 – June 10, 2025
The eighteen remaining participants play in three groups of six. Six countries, the top two of each group, will qualify. The six countries that end third or fourth advance to the Asian play-offs; - Round 4, AFC play-offs | October, November, 2025
The six participants play in two groups of three. Both group winners have qualified as well. Both runners-up play against each other. That winner takes part in the FIFA Intercontinental play-offs; - Intercontinental play-offs | November, 2025
One more AFC country may qualify; - Eight or nine AFC countries will be part of the 2026 World Cup schedule.
Round 1 | World Cup football qualifiers Asia
12-17 October, 2023
Note: 47 countries are members of the Asian Football Confederation. However, the Northern Mariana Islands only participate in the qualification for the AFC Asian Cup, not in the qualification for the FIFA World Cup.
Fixtures & Results
| MATCHDAY 1 | TIME (local) | MATCH | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12.10.2023 | Finished | Afghanistan – Mongolia | 1-0 |
| 12.10.2023 | Finished | Maldives – Bangladesh | 1-1 |
| 12.10.2023 | Finished | Singapore – Guam | 2-1 |
| 12.10.2023 | Finished | Yemen – Sri Lanka | 3-0 |
| 12.10.2023 | Finished | Myanmar – Macau | 5-1 |
| 12.10.2023 | Finished | Cambodia – Pakistan | 0-0 |
| 12.10.2023 | Finished | Chinese Taipei – Timor-Leste | 4-0 |
| 12.10.2023 | Finished | Indonesia – Brunei Darussalam | 6-0 |
| 12.10.2023 | Finished | Hong Kong (China) – Bhutan | 4-0 |
| 12.10.2023 | Finished | Nepal – Laos | 1-1 |
| MATCHDAY 2 | TIME (local) | MATCH | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17.10.2023 | Finished | Mongolia – Afghanistan * | 0-1 |
| 17.10.2023 | Finished | Bangladesh * – Maldives | 2-1 |
| 17.10.2023 | Finished | Guam – Singapore * | 0-1 |
| 17.10.2023 | Finished | Sri Lanka – Yemen * | 1-1 |
| 17.10.2023 | Finished | Macau – Myanmar * | 0-0 |
| 17.10.2023 | Finished | Pakistan * – Cambodia | 1-0 |
| 17.10.2023 | Finished | Timor-Leste – Chinese Taipei * | 0-3 |
| 17.10.2023 | Finished | Brunei Darussalam – Indonesia * | 0-6 |
| 17.10.2023 | Finished | Bhutan – Hong Kong (China) * | 2-0 |
| 17.10.2023 | Finished | Laos – Nepal * | 0-1 |
Format AFC qualifiers Round 1
The first round of the qualification in Asia is the AFC Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1. The twenty Asian football nations that are lowest on the FIFA Ranking – AFC ranked places 46 to 27 – kick off. These twenty countries play mutual matches, one home and one away, each against one of the other teams. The ten winners proceed to the AFC Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2.
Round 2 | World Cup football qualifiers Asia
November 16, 2023 – June 11, 2024
Standings
| GROUP A | AFC ROUND 2 | P | W | D | L | PTS | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Qatar | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 11-1 |
| 2 | Kuwait | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4-1 |
| 3 | India | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1-3 |
| 4 | Afghanistan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1-12 |
| GROUP B | AFC ROUND 2 | P | W | D | L | PTS | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 10-0 |
| 2 | DPR Korea | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6-2 |
| 3 | Syria | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1-5 |
| 4 | Myanmar | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1-11 |
| GROUP C | AFC ROUND 2 | P | W | D | L | PTS | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Korea Republic | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 8-0 |
| 2 | Thailand | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4-3 |
| 3 | China PR | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2-4 |
| 4 | Singapore | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1-8 |
| GROUP D | AFC ROUND 2 | P | W | D | L | PTS | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malaysia | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5-3 |
| 2 | Oman | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3-1 |
| 3 | Kyrgyz Republic | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4-4 |
| 4 | Chinese Taipei | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0-4 |
| GROUP E | AFC ROUND 2 | P | W | D | L | PTS | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IR Iran | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6-2 |
| 2 | Uzbekistan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5-3 |
| 3 | Turkmenistan | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3-5 |
| 4 | Hong Kong (China) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2-6 |
| GROUP F | AFC ROUND 2 | P | W | D | L | PTS | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iraq | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6-1 |
| 2 | Vietnam | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2-1 |
| 3 | Philippines | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1-3 |
| 4 | Indonesia | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2-6 |
| GROUP G | AFC ROUND 2 | P | W | D | L | PTS | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saudi Arabia | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6-0 |
| 2 | Tajikistan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 7-2 |
| 3 | Jordan | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1-3 |
| 4 | Pakistan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1-10 |
| GROUP H | AFC ROUND 2 | P | W | D | L | PTS | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Arab Emirates | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6-0 |
| 2 | Bahrain | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2-2 |
| 3 | Yemen | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2-2 |
| 4 | Nepal | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0-6 |
| GROUP I | AFC ROUND 2 | P | W | D | L | PTS | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 8-0 |
| 2 | Lebanon | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1-1 |
| 3 | Palestine | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0-1 |
| 4 | Bangladesh | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1-8 |
Fixtures
| Match round 1 | TIME (local) | MATCH | GROUP | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16.11.2023 | 19:30 (UTC+10.5) | Australia – Bangladesh | I | 7-0 |
| 16.11.2023 | 19:00 (UTC+9) | Japan – Myanmar | B | 5-0 |
| 16.11.2023 | 19:00 (UTC+8) | Philippines – Vietnam | F | 0-2 |
| 16.11.2023 | 20:00 (UTC+9) | Korea Republic – Singapore | C | 5-0 |
| 16.11.2023 | 19:30 (UTC+7) | Thailand – China PR | C | 1-2 |
| 16.11.2023 | 21:00 (UTC+8) | Malaysia – Kyrgyz Republic | D | 4-3 |
| 16.11.2023 | 18:00 (UTC+5) | Tajikistan – Jordan | G | 1-1 |
| 16.11.2023 | 19:00 (UTC+5) | Turkmenistan – Uzbekistan | E | 1-3 |
| 16.11.2023 | 16:00 (UTC+2) | Lebanon – Palestine | I | 0-0 |
| 16.11.2023 | 18:00 (UTC+3.5) | Iran – Hong Kong | E | 4-0 |
| 16.11.2023 | 17:45 (UTC+3) | Iraq – Indonesia | F | 5-1 |
| 16.11.2023 | 19:00 (UTC+4) | Oman – Chinese Taipei | D | 3-0 |
| 16.11.2023 | 19:45 (UTC+4) | United Arab Emirates – Nepal | H | 4-0 |
| 16.11.2023 | 18:45 (UTC+3) | Qatar – Afghanistan | A | 8-1 |
| 16.11.2023 | 19:30 (UTC+3) | Saudi Arabia – Pakistan | G | 4-0 |
| 16.11.2023 | 19:30 (UTC+3) | Kuwait – India | A | 0-1 |
| 17.11.2023 | 02:00 (UTC+9) | Korea DPR – Syria | B | 0-1 |
| 16.11.2023 | 21:00 (UTC+3) | Yemen – Bahrain | H | 0-2 |
| Match round 2 | TIME (local) | MATCH | GROUP | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21.11.2023 | 14:00 (UTC+5) | Pakistan – Tajikistan | G | 1-6 |
| 21.11.2023 | 16:00 (UTC+6.5) | Myanmar – Korea DPR | B | 1-6 |
| 21.11.2023 | 19:00 (UTC+8) | Chinese Taipei – Malaysia | D | 0-1 |
| 21.11.2023 | 18:00 (UTC+7) | Indonesia – Philippines | F | 1-1 |
| 21.11.2023 | 17:45 (UTC+6) | Bangladesh – Lebanon | I | 1-1 |
| 21.11.2023 | 20:00 (UTC+8) | Singapore – Thailand | C | 1-3 |
| 21.11.2023 | 20:00 (UTC+8) | Hong Kong – Turkmenistan | E | 2-2 |
| 21.11.2023 | 20:00 (UTC+8) | China PR – Korea Republic | C | 0-3 |
| 21.11.2023 | 19:00 (UTC+7) | Vietnam – Iraq | F | 0-1 |
| 21.11.2023 | 18:00 (UTC+5) | Uzbekistan – Iran | E | 2-2 |
| 21.11.2023 | 19:00 (UTC+5.75) | Nepal – Yemen | H | 0-2 |
| 21.11.2023 | 19:00 (UTC+5,5) | India – Qatar | A | 0-3 |
| 21.11.2023 | 20:00 (UTC+6) | Kyrgyz Republic – Oman | D | 1-0 |
| 21.11.2023 | 16:00 (UTC+2) | Palestine – Australia | I | 0-1 |
| 21.11.2023 | 17:45 (UTC+3) | Syria – Japan | B | 0-5 |
| 21.11.2023 | 18:45 (UTC+3) | Bahrain – United Arab Emirates | H | 0-2 |
| 21.11.2023 | 19:00 (UTC+3) | Jordan – Saudi Arabia | G | 0-2 |
| 21.11.2023 | 21:30 (UTC+4.5) | Afghanistan – Kuwait | A | 0-4 |
| Match round 3 | TIME | MATCH | GROUP | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21.03.2024 | 00:00 | Qatar – Kuwait | A | |
| 21.03.2024 | 00:00 | Afghanistan – India | A | |
| 21.03.2024 | 00:00 | Japan – Korea DPR | B | |
| 21.03.2024 | 00:00 | Myanmar – Syria | B | |
| 21.03.2024 | 00:00 | Korea Republic – Thailand | C | |
| 21.03.2024 | 00:00 | Singapore – China PR | C | |
| 21.03.2024 | 00:00 | Oman – Malaysia | D | |
| 21.03.2024 | 00:00 | Chinese Taipei – Kyrgyz Republic | D | |
| 21.03.2024 | 00:00 | Iran – Turkmenistan | E | |
| 21.03.2024 | 00:00 | Hong Kong – Uzbekistan | E | |
| 21.03.2024 | 00:00 | Iraq – Philippines | F | |
| 21.03.2024 | 00:00 | Indonesia – Vietnam | F | |
| 21.03.2024 | 00:00 | Pakistan – Jordan | G | |
| 21.03.2024 | 00:00 | Saudi Arabia – Tajikistan | G | |
| 21.03.2024 | 00:00 | United Arab Emirates – Yemen | H | |
| 21.03.2024 | 00:00 | Nepal – Bahrain | H | |
| 21.03.2024 | 00:00 | Australia – Lebanon | I | |
| 21.03.2024 | 00:00 | Bangladesh – Palestine | I |
| Match round 4 | TIME | MATCH | GROUP | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26.03.2024 | 00:00 | India – Afghanistan | A | |
| 26.03.2024 | 00:00 | Kuwait – Qatar | A | |
| 26.03.2024 | 00:00 | Syria – Myanmar | B | |
| 26.03.2024 | 00:00 | Korea DPR – Japan | B | |
| 26.03.2024 | 00:00 | Thailand – Korea Republic | C | |
| 26.03.2024 | 00:00 | China PR – Singapore | C | |
| 26.03.2024 | 00:00 | Kyrgyz Republic – Chinese Taipei | D | |
| 26.03.2024 | 00:00 | Malaysia – Oman | D | |
| 26.03.2024 | 00:00 | Uzbekistan – Hong Kong | E | |
| 26.03.2024 | 00:00 | Turkmenistan – Iran | E | |
| 26.03.2024 | 00:00 | Vietnam – Indonesia | F | |
| 26.03.2024 | 00:00 | Philippines – Iraq | F | |
| 26.03.2024 | 00:00 | Tajikistan – Saudi Arabia | G | |
| 26.03.2024 | 00:00 | Jordan – Pakistan | G | |
| 26.03.2024 | 00:00 | Bahrain – Nepal | H | |
| 26.03.2024 | 00:00 | Yemen – United Arab Emirates | H | |
| 26.03.2024 | 00:00 | Palestine – Bangladesh | I | |
| 26.03.2024 | 00:00 | Lebanon – Australia | I |
| Match round 5 | TIME | MATCH | GROUP | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06.06.2024 | 00:00 | Afghanistan – Qatar | A | |
| 06.06.2024 | 00:00 | India – Kuwait | A | |
| 06.06.2024 | 00:00 | Syria – Korea DPR | B | |
| 06.06.2024 | 00:00 | Myanmar – Japan | B | |
| 06.06.2024 | 00:00 | Singapore – Korea Republic | C | |
| 06.06.2024 | 00:00 | China PR -Thailand | C | |
| 06.06.2024 | 00:00 | Chinese Taipei – Oman | D | |
| 06.06.2024 | 00:00 | Kyrgyz Republic – Malaysia | D | |
| 06.06.2024 | 00:00 | Hong Kong – Iran | E | |
| 06.06.2024 | 00:00 | Uzbekistan – Turkmenistan | E | |
| 06.06.2024 | 00:00 | Indonesia – Iraq | F | |
| 06.06.2024 | 00:00 | Vietnam – Philippines | F | |
| 06.06.2024 | 00:00 | Pakistan – Saudi Arabia | G | |
| 06.06.2024 | 00:00 | Jordan – Tajikistan | G | |
| 06.06.2024 | 00:00 | Nepal – United Arab Emirates | H | |
| 06.06.2024 | 00:00 | Bahrain – Yemen | H | |
| 06.06.2024 | 00:00 | Bangladesh – Australia | I | |
| 06.06.2024 | 00:00 | Palestine – Lebanon | I |
| Match round 6 | TIME | MATCH | GROUP | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.06.2024 | 00:00 | Qatar – India | A | |
| 11.06.2024 | 00:00 | Kuwait – Afghanistan | A | |
| 11.06.2024 | 00:00 | Korea DPR – Myanmar | B | |
| 11.06.2024 | 00:00 | Japan – Syria | B | |
| 11.06.2024 | 00:00 | Korea Republic – China PR | C | |
| 11.06.2024 | 00:00 | Thailand – Singapore | C | |
| 11.06.2024 | 00:00 | Oman – Kyrgyz Republic | D | |
| 11.06.2024 | 00:00 | Malaysia – Chinese Taipei | D | |
| 11.06.2024 | 00:00 | Turkmenistan – Hong Kong | E | |
| 11.06.2024 | 00:00 | Iran – Uzbekistan | E | |
| 11.06.2024 | 00:00 | Iraq – Vietnam | F | |
| 11.06.2024 | 00:00 | Philippines – Indonesia | F | |
| 11.06.2024 | 00:00 | Saudi Arabia – Jordan | G | |
| 11.06.2024 | 00:00 | Tajikistan – Pakistan | G | |
| 11.06.2024 | 00:00 | United Arab Emirates – Bahrain | H | |
| 11.06.2024 | 00:00 | Yemen – Nepal | H | |
| 11.06.2024 | 00:00 | Lebanon – Bangladesh | I | |
| 11.06.2024 | 00:00 | Australia – Palestine | I |
Results
Live as soon as applicable
Format AFC qualifiers Round 2
The second Asian World Cup football qualifying round consists of the ten winners of the first round, together with the top 26 teams from the FIFA / AFC Ranking. These 36 nations in total are divided into nine groups of four teams. Each country plays six games, double round-robin format: home and away against each of their three group opponents. The eighteen numbers one and two of the qualifier groups advance to the Asian World Cup football qualifiers Round 3. Besides, they qualify for the AFC Asian Cup.
Round 3 | World Cup football qualifiers Asia
September 5, 2024 – June 10, 2025
Standings
| GROUP A | AFC ROUND 3 | P | W | D | L | PTS | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Team after draw | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 |
| 2 | Team after draw | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 |
| 3 | Team after draw | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 |
| 4 | Team after draw | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 |
| 5 | Team after draw | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 |
| 6 | Team after draw | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 |
| GROUP B | AFC ROUND 3 | P | W | D | L | PTS | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Team after draw | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 |
| 2 | Team after draw | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 |
| 3 | Team after draw | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 |
| 4 | Team after draw | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 |
| 5 | Team after draw | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 |
| 6 | Team after draw | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 |
| GROUP C | AFC ROUND 3 | P | W | D | L | PTS | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Team after draw | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 |
| 2 | Team after draw | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 |
| 3 | Team after draw | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 |
| 4 | Team after draw | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 |
| 5 | Team after draw | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 |
| 6 | Team after draw | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 |
Fixtures
| Match round 1 | TIME | MATCH | GROUP | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09.2024 06.2025 | 00:00 | After draw | A | |
| 09.2024 06.2025 | 00:00 | After draw | A | |
| 09.2024 06.2025 | 00:00 | After draw | A | |
| 09.2024 06.2025 | 00:00 | After draw | B | |
| 09.2024 06.2025 | 00:00 | After draw | B | |
| 09.2024 06.2025 | 00:00 | After draw | B | |
| 09.2024 06.2025 | 00:00 | After draw | C | |
| 09.2024 06.2025 | 00:00 | After draw | C | |
| 09.2024 06.2025 | 00:00 | After draw | C |
| Match round 2 | TIME | MATCH | GROUP | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09.2024 06.2025 | 00:00 | After draw | A | |
| 09.2024 06.2025 | 00:00 | After draw | A | |
| 09.2024 06.2025 | 00:00 | After draw | A | |
| 09.2024 06.2025 | 00:00 | After draw | B | |
| 09.2024 06.2025 | 00:00 | After draw | B | |
| 09.2024 06.2025 | 00:00 | After draw | B | |
| 09.2024 06.2025 | 00:00 | After draw | C | |
| 09.2024 06.2025 | 00:00 | After draw | C | |
| 09.2024 06.2025 | 00:00 | After draw | C |
| Match round 3 | TIME | MATCH | GROUP | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09.2024 06.2025 | 00:00 | After draw | A | |
| 09.2024 06.2025 | 00:00 | After draw | A | |
| 09.2024 06.2025 | 00:00 | After draw | A | |
| 09.2024 06.2025 | 00:00 | After draw | B | |
| 09.2024 06.2025 | 00:00 | After draw | B | |
| 09.2024 06.2025 | 00:00 | After draw | B | |
| 09.2024 06.2025 | 00:00 | After draw | C | |
| 09.2024 06.2025 | 00:00 | After draw | C | |
| 09.2024 06.2025 | 00:00 | After draw | C |
Results
Live as soon as applicable
Format AFC qualifiers Round 3
In Round 3 of the Asian FIFA World Cup qualifiers, the eighteen remaining teams play in three groups of six. Each country plays ten matches, double round-robin format: home and away against each of their five opponents. The numbers one and two of each Round 3 group – six AFC national teams – qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup football. The AFC national teams that finish third or fourth in their group in Round 3, continue their qualification challenge in Round 4; the Asian play-offs.
Round 4 | World Cup football qualifiers Asia
October, November, 2025
Standings
| GROUP I | AFC ROUND 4 | P | W | D | L | PTS | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Number 3 / 4 Round 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 |
| 2 | Number 3 / 4 Round 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 |
| 3 | Number 3 / 4 Round 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 |
| GROUP II | AFC ROUND 4 | P | W | D | L | PTS | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Number 3 / 4 Round 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 |
| 2 | Number 3 / 4 Round 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 |
| 3 | Number 3 / 4 Round 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 |
Fixtures
| MATCHDAY 1 | TIME | MATCH | GROUP | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/11, 2025 | 00:00 | Known after draw | I | |
| 10/11, 2025 | 00:00 | Known after draw | II |
| MATCHDAY 2 | TIME | MATCH | GROUP | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/11, 2025 | 00:00 | Known after draw | I | |
| 10/11, 2025 | 00:00 | Known after draw | II |
| MATCHDAY 3 | TIME | MATCH | GROUP | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/11, 2025 | 00:00 | Known after draw | I | |
| 10/11, 2025 | 00:00 | Known after draw | II |
Results
Live as soon as applicable
Format AFC qualifiers Round 4
Round 4 of the World Cup football Asian qualifiers will partly consist of the AFC play-offs. The six Asian countries that finished 3rd or 4th in their group in Round 3, take part in this fourth qualification round. This Round 4 has two groups of three, in which each team plays the other two teams. These will be single matches on neutral ground. Both group winners qualify for the World Cup 2026 finals in North America, joining the six Asian teams that qualified via Round 3. Besides, both numbers two in Round 4 play a mutual home and away game. The winner advances to the FIFA intercontinental play-offs.
FIFA Intercontinental play-offs with 1 Asian nation
November, 2025
The winner of the last Asian play-off match between the numbers two from the two play-off groups still has a chance to qualify for the World Cup. This country will represent the FIFA Zone AFC during the intercontinental World Cup 2026 qualification play-offs. Six countries are participating. They come from five of the six FIFA confederations: AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), OFC (Oceania), CONMEBOL (South America) and CONCACAF (North America, Central America, and the Caribbean). The European confederation, UEFA, will have no representative at these intercontinental 2026 World Cup play-offs, while World Cup host CONCACAF will be allowed to provide two countries. The six countries compete for the last two (of 48) tickets that entitle them to participate in the World Cup in the three North American countries USA, Canada and Mexico. Including these cross-continental play-offs, the total number of World Cup participants from the FIFA Zone AFC could reach nine.
Format cross-intercontinental play-offs
The format of the six-nation inter-confederation play-offs is as follows. The four (of the six) qualified countries that are, at that moment, lowest in the FIFA Ranking are linked by a draw. The two winners then play against the two countries that (of those six) are highest in the FIFA Ranking. The two winners of those last two games will eventually get the last 2026 World Cup football tickets.
World Cup football qualification in Asia: overview
The qualifying series in the FIFA zone AFC for the 2026 Football World Cup runs from October 2023 to November 2025. Apart from the intercontinental FIFA World Cup 2026 play-offs later in November 2025. In the qualifying zone of the Asian Football Confederation, 46 countries compete for eight to nine tickets for the World Cup in North America.
Round 1
The qualifiers within the AFC start with a first preliminary round. The twenty countries of that football continent that are lowest on the FIFA Ranking of that moment participate in this. So, what counts are the positions of the AFC countries in the FIFA Ranking. Of the 46 participating AFC countries in total, the teams ranked in the AFC-relevant places 46 to 27 will play in the first qualifying round. A draw results for these twenty countries in ten mutual matches. Each team plays a home and an away game. The ten winners continue to dream of qualifying for the finals of the 2026 FIFA football world championship. They will proceed to the second (preliminary) round: the AFC Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2.
When: October 12 and October 17, 2023
Round 2
The second qualifying round consists of the ten winners of the first qualifying round, supplemented by the top 26 teams from the FIFA / AFC Ranking. This makes a total of 36 teams. These countries are divided into nine groups. Each country will play in a group of four teams. Within each group, each country plays six games: home and away against each of its three opponents. From each of the nine groups, the top two countries will advance to the formal start of the World Cup qualifying series in Asia: the AFC Asian Qualifiers. Besides, they qualify for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
When: November 16, 2023 – June 11, 2024
Combination with qualification for Asian Cup 2027
In addition to the 2026 World Cup, participation in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup is also at stake for the AFC countries during the qualifying series from October 2023 to October / November 2025. For the ten ‘worst’ losers from the Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1, there are five new, mutual AFC Asian Cup play-off matches on the agenda. The five winners of these qualify for the final round of the AFC Asian Cup qualifying phase. The final round consists of a total of 24 countries. The number of 24 is built up as follows. Firstly, there are the five winners of the mentioned play-offs among the ‘worst’ losers from Round 1. Secondly, there is the ‘best’ loser from that Round 1, who is already allowed to go through directly. Thirdly, these are the eighteen countries that finished third and fourth in the Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2. These 24 countries are divided into six groups of four. Only the six numbers one of these groups qualify for the final round of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
When: 2023-2027
Round 3
The eighteen countries that have successfully passed the AFC preliminary rounds will continue the road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the AFC Asian Qualifiers. Moreover, they also have qualified for the AFC Asian Cup 2027. In the battle for a World Cup ticket, in Round 3 the eighteen remaining countries play in three groups of six teams each. Each country plays ten matches, namely home and away against each of the five group opponents. The three times two countries that finish in first and second place in their Asian Round 3 group, qualify directly for the World Cup. This means that AFC already has six representatives at the FIFA final round in 2026. The countries that finish third or fourth in their group in this phase also stay in the race. They continue their way in Round 4 / the Asian play-offs.
When: September 5, 2024 – June 10, 2025
Round 4
The final part of the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers consists of the AFC play-offs. The countries that finished in 3rd or 4th place in their group of six during the previous round of the Asian qualifiers, are part of this. Since there were three groups in the AFC qualification phase before, this is three times two makes six countries. In Round 4, they again end up in a group, this time consisting of three countries.
In both newly formed groups, all countries play against each other once, on neutral ground. This means that two new matches are scheduled for each team. In both play-off groups it is important to finish in the top two. Both numbers one are assured of a 2026 World Cup ticket, just like the six AFC countries that have qualified for the World Cup at an earlier stage. The total number of AFC participants in the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico is therefore at least 6 + 2 = 8.
However, one more AFC country can be added. That is possibly one of the two numbers two of these Round 4 / play-off groups. They will play a play-off game against each other – home and away. The winner of it proceeds to the FIFA intercontinental play-offs. If this representative from Asia succeeds in there, the total number of qualified countries from AFC for the 2026 World Cup will be even 8 + 1 = 9.
When: October – November 2025
AFC countries qualifying for the World Cup football
From the FIFA AFC Zone, a minimum of eight, a maximum of nine countries will qualify for the World Cup. The total number of countries at the final round in 2026 is 48. This number is made up as follows.
| FIFA ZONE | QUALIFY FOR WORLD CUP FOOTBALL 2026 | AVAILABLE SLOTS FIFA CONTINENTS |
|---|---|
| AFC | Minimum 8, maximum 9 countries (possible +1 via intercontinental play-offs) |
| CONCACAF | Minimum 6, maximum 8 countries (possible +2 via intercontinental play-offs) Host countries USA, Canada and Mexico are already automatically qualified |
| CONMEBOL | Minimum 6, maximum 7 countries (possible +1 via intercontinental play-offs) |
| OFC | Minimum 1, maximum 2 countries (possible +1 via intercontinental play-offs) |
| CAF | Minimum 9, maximum 10 countries (possible +1 via intercontinental play-offs) |
| UEFA | 16 countries |
46 AFC nations in the 2026 World Cup football qualifiers
These countries come from the FIFA Zone of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). They all dream of a ticket for the final round of the 2026 World Cup football. And with that – even if it is mainly in theory for many countries – of winning the world title in football.
- Afghanistan
- Australia
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- Brunei Darussalam
- Cambodia
- China PR
- Chinese Taipei
- Guam
- Hong Kong
- India
- Indonesia
- IR Iran
- Iraq
- Japan
- Jordan
- Korea DPR
- Korean Republic
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyz Republic
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Macau
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mongolia
- Myanmar
- Nepal
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palestine
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Singapore
- Sri Lanka
- Syria
- Tajikistan
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Turkmenistan
- United Arab Emirates
- Uzbekistan
- Vietnam
- Yemen
Note: The Northern Mariana Islands are also part of the AFC Zone, but only participate in qualifying for the Asian Cup, not in qualifying for the FIFA World Cup.
See also: the positions of the AFC country teams in the FIFA Ranking.
Draw qualification World Cup football in the AFC zone
Which countries play against each other during the several qualifying stages on the football continent of Asia? That partly depends on their position in the FIFA Ranking, but from Round 2 onwards the Asian draws determine which nations will face each other in the several groups. The date of the draw of the Preliminaries in the AFC Zone was July, 27, 2023. This concerned the Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 and 2. For more AFC World Cup football draws and related information, see Preliminary Draw World Cup Football.
World Cup football draw
FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) determine the final program with the dates and matches of each round in the AFC qualifiers. Each schedule will be published at this AFC World Cup qualification page. The Asian nations that qualify for the finals, will be part of the 2026 World Cup football draw. Click for info, date and location.
The information on this page is based on the official information from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), current and subject to possible changes.
Read back: earlier updates World Cup qualifiers Asia
Update March, 2023: When does the World Cup qualifying series start and end in FIFA Zone AFC? Qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Zone AFC (Asia) will begin October 2023 and end in November 2025. These and subsequent dates are based on the FIFA Match Calendar. The first qualifying round in the FIFA continent AFC will begin on October 12, 2023 and last through October 17, 2023. The second qualifying round in Asia will begin on November 16, 2023 and last until June 11, 2024. The third World Cup qualifying round in zone AFC will begin on September 5, 2024 and ends on June 10, 2025. The fourth placement round is in October and November 2025. This will be followed by intercontinental play-offs, including one country from the FIFA Zone AFC, in November 2025.
Update October, 2022: The qualifying series in the FIFA zone AFC for the 2026 Football World Cup runs from 12 October 2023 to October 2025. In the qualifying zone of the Asian Football Confederation, 46 countries compete for eight to nine tickets for the World Cup in North America. There are four rounds and in November 2025 there will be the intercontinental play-offs for (among other) one AFC country.
Update October, 2022: The AFC qualifying series consists of four rounds: two qualifying rounds, the actual qualifying round and the AFC play-offs. Eight countries qualify from this. In addition, there is a rematch for one AFC country in the final, intercontinental FIFA WC 2026 play-offs. Will that representative from Asia finish in the top two of that play-off mini-tournament? Then in 2026 there will be not eight, but nine Asian countries at the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Update October, 2021: The format of the 2026 World Cup qualification for AFC has been formally approved in 2022. The format of the qualifying schedule in this FIFA Zone has been endorsed by the Executive Committee of the Asian Football Confederation and FIFA. However, there is the following caveat: the format is based on the participation of all 47 countries from this zone. If there is a definitively smaller number of countries, FIFA and the Asian Football Association may revise the format. In any case, the AFC qualifying schedule remains based on a total of 48 World Cup participants for the 2026 final tournament.
