A Complete Guide to the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification for AFC Teams
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be a historic event for football, as it will feature 48 teams for the first time, instead of the usual 32. This means that more opportunities will be available for each confederation to qualify for the biggest football tournament in the world. For Asia, this is a great chance to prove its strength and potential on the global stage.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has revealed the qualification format for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will also serve as the qualification for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. A total of 46 AFC teams will participate in the qualification, which will offer eight direct spots and one play-off spot at the World Cup, as well as 24 spots at the Asian Cup.
The qualification process will consist of five rounds, starting from October 2023 and ending in November 2025. The first two rounds will also determine the participants of the Asian Cup, while the third, fourth and fifth rounds will decide the World Cup qualifiers.
In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification for AFC teams, including the dates, format, groups, fixtures, results and more.
First Round
The first round of the AFC qualification will take place from 9 to 17 October 2023. It will involve 20 teams ranked 27th to 46th in the AFC according to the FIFA ranking of June 2023. These teams will be matched into 10 home-and-away ties, with the winners progressing to the second round.
The draw for the first round was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 27 July 2023. The teams were seeded into two pots of 10 teams each based on their FIFA ranking. The teams from pot 1 hosted the first leg and the teams from pot 2 hosted the second leg.
Here are the first round fixtures and results:
- Afghanistan vs Mongolia: 3-1 (aggregate)
- Maldives vs Bangladesh: 2-2 (aggregate, Maldives won on away goals)
- Singapore vs Guam: 4-0 (aggregate)
- Yemen vs Sri Lanka: 5-2 (aggregate)
- Myanmar vs Macau: 7-0 (aggregate)
- Cambodia vs Pakistan: 3-3 (aggregate, Cambodia won on away goals)
- Chinese Taipei vs Timor-Leste: 6-1 (aggregate)
- Indonesia vs Brunei Darussalam: 8-0 (aggregate)
- Hong Kong, China vs Bhutan: 9-1 (aggregate)
- Nepal vs Laos: 4-3 (aggregate)
Second Round
The second round of the AFC qualification will take place from 13 November 2023 to 11 June 2024. It will feature 36 teams: the top 26 ranked teams in the AFC according to the FIFA ranking of June 2023 and the 10 winners of the first round. These teams will be split into nine groups of four teams each. The teams will play against each other on a home-and-away basis.
The draw for the second round was also held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 27 July 2023. The teams were seeded into four pots based on their FIFA ranking. Pot 1 contained the teams ranked 1st to 9th in the AFC, pot 2 contained the teams ranked 10th to 18th, pot 3 contained the teams ranked 19th to 26th and pot 4 contained placeholders for the first round winners.
The nine group winners and group runners-up will advance to the third round and automatically qualify for the AFC Asian Cup.
Third Round
The third round of the AFC qualification will take place from September 2024 to June 2025. It will feature 18 teams: the nine group winners and group runners-up from the second round. These teams will be split into three groups of six teams each. The teams will play against each other on a home-and-away basis.The draw for the third round will be held after the conclusion of the second round. The teams will be seeded into three pots based on their FIFA ranking.The top two teams of each group will qualify directly for the FIFA World Cup, while the third and fourth-placed teams will advance to the fourth round.
Fourth Round
The fourth round of the AFC qualification will take place in October 2025. It will feature six teams: the third and fourth-placed teams from each group in the third round. These teams will be split into two groups of three teams each. The teams will play against each other once in a neutral venue.The draw for the fourth round will be held after the conclusion of the third round. The teams will be seeded into two pots based on their FIFA ranking.The winners of each group will qualify for the World Cup, while the runners-up of each group will advance to the fifth round.
Fifth Round
The fifth round of the AFC qualification will take place in November 2025. It will feature two teams: the group runners-up from the fourth round. These teams will compete in a home-and-away tie to determine the Asian representation at the inter-confederation play-offs.Inter-confederation Play-offsThe inter-confederation play-offs will take place in March 2026. It will feature six teams: one team from each confederation except UEFA, plus one additional team from the confederation of the host country (CONCACAF). These teams will be drawn into three home-and-away ties, with the winners qualifying for the World Cup.
FAQs
How many Asian teams will qualify for the World Cup 2026?
A total of eight direct spots and one play-off spot are available for AFC teams at the World Cup 2026.
Which Asian teams have qualified for the most World Cups?
Korea Republic have the best World Cup record among the Asian teams, having reached the semi-finals in 2002 as co-hosts. They also reached the round of 16 in 2010 and 2018. Japan have also reached the round of 16 four times, in 2002, 2010, 2014 and 2018. Australia have reached the round of 16 once, in 2006. Iran, Saudi Arabia and China PR have never advanced beyond the group stage.
Which Asian teams are the most likely to qualify for the World Cup 2026?
Based on their FIFA rankings, recent performances and qualification groups, some of the Asian teams that are the most likely to qualify for the World Cup 2026 are Qatar, Japan, Korea Republic, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq. However, there are also other teams that could surprise and challenge for a spot, such as China PR, Syria, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Oman.
Conclusion
The Asian qualification process for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is a long and challenging journey that will test the skills and resilience of the AFC teams. With more slots available than ever before, there is also more hope and excitement for the fans and players alike. The qualification will also serve as a preparation for the AFC Asian Cup, which will be held in China PR in 2027.Who will make history and book their tickets to the World Cup 2026? Who will fall short and miss out on the chance to shine on the world stage? Follow the action and drama of the AFC qualification and find out!