WHAT IS
AFC ASIAN QUALIFIERS™ - ROAD TO 26 ?
This is the final qualifying round to determine which countries will participate in the FIFA World Cup 26™ to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Teams that pass the first and second qualifying rounds, which started in October 2023, are eligible to
participate.
To make watching the matches even more enjoyable, we will provide an easy-to-understand explanation of the
tournament outline.
Official Match Ball of the
AFC ASIAN QUALIFIERS™ - ROAD TO 26
Vantaggio AQ5000
AFC ASIAN QUALIFIERS™ - ROAD TO 26
By using the same colors as seen in the logo of the AFC Asian Qualifiers™ - Road to 26, the design of the ball resonates with/conjures up the image of the AFC Asian Qualifiers™ - Road to 26 at a glance. The spectrum lines in each color express the AFC member associations’ desire to win the qualifier and to earn their slot in the FIFA World Cup 26™. The silver line making up the base design expresses the movement of the players running around the pitch.
Vantaggio AQ5000
F5N5000-AA
- Official Match Ball
- Size 5
- Acentec
Vantaggio AQ3400
F5N3400-AA
- Replica Ball
- Size 5
- Hybrid
Vantaggio AQ1000
F5N1000-AA
- Replica Ball
- Size 5
- Machine Stitched
Vantaggio AQ1000
F1N1000-AA
- Mini Replica Ball
- Size 1
- Machine Stitched
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It's more fun
when you know
AFC ASIAN QUALIFIERS™
- ROAD TO 26
Explanation of the qualifying
format and match progress
Schedule
About the Qualifying Method
FIFA World Cup 26™ Quotas
A record number of 48 countries will participate in FIFA World Cup 26™. Asia has been given a record eight FIFA World Cup berths. In addition, one team will participate in the FIFA Playoff Tournament, potentially bringing the number of teams from the AFC in the tournament to a maximum of nine. 46 teams from the AFC and FIFA will participate in the AFC Asian Qualifiers™.
Round 3
The 18 teams that pass the round 2 of qualifying will be divided into three groups of six teams each and
play league matches in two round-robin home-and-away matches from September 2024 to June 2025. The top two
teams from each group (six teams in total) will qualify for the FIFA World Cup 26™.
Round 3 Match List
| Group A | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 IRAN | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 16 |
 UZBEKISTAN | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 13 |
 UAE | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 10 |
 QATAR | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 17 | -7 | 7 |
 KYRGYZ | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 13 | -7 | 3 |
 NORTH KOREA | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 9 | -4 | 2 |
Round 3 Group A qualifying schedule
Section 1
September 5, 2024
-
QATAR1 - 3UAE
-
UZBEKISTAN1 - 0NORTH KOREA
-
IRAN1 - 0KYRGYZ
Section 2
September 10, 2024
-
UAE0 - 1IRAN
-
NORTH KOREA2 - 2QATAR
-
KYRGYZ2 - 3UZBEKISTAN
Section 3
October 10, 2024
-
QATAR3 - 1KYRGYZ
-
UAE1 - 1NORTH KOREA
-
UZBEKISTAN0 - 0IRAN
Section 4
October 15, 2024
-
IRAN4 - 1QATAR
-
UZBEKISTAN1 - 0UAE
-
KYRGYZ1 - 0NORTH KOREA
Section 5
November 14/15, 2024
-
UAE3 - 0KYRGYZ
-
NORTH KOREA2 - 3IRAN
-
QATAR3 - 2UZBEKISTAN
Section 6
November 19/20, 2024
-
KYRGYZ2 - 3IRAN
-
UAE5 - 0QATAR
-
NORTH KOREA0 - 1UZBEKISTAN
Section 7
March 20, 2025
-
QATAR0-0NORTH KOREA
-
UZBEKISTAN0-0KYRGYZ
-
IRAN0-0UAE
Section 8
March 25, 2025
-
KYRGYZ0-0QATAR
-
NORTH KOREA0-0UAE
-
IRAN0-0UZBEKISTAN
Section 9
June 5, 2025
-
NORTH KOREA0-0KYRGYZ
-
UAE0-0UZBEKISTAN
-
QATAR0-0IRAN
Section 10
June 10, 2025
-
UZBEKISTAN0-0QATAR
-
IRAN0-0NORTH KOREA
-
KYRGYZ0-0UAE
| Group B | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 SOUTH KOREA | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 14 |
 IRAQ | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 11 |
 JORDAN | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 9 |
 OMAN | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 9 | -3 | 6 |
 KUWAIT | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 11 | -6 | 4 |
 PALESTINE | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 | -4 | 3 |
Round 3 Group B qualifying schedule
Section 1
September 5, 2024
-
JORDAN1 - 1KUWAIT
-
IRAQ1 - 0OMAN
-
SOUTH KOREA0 - 0PALESTINE
Section 2
September 10, 2024
-
KUWAIT0 - 0IRAQ
-
OMAN1 - 3SOUTH KOREA
-
PALESTINE1 - 3JORDAN
Section 3
October 10, 2024
-
OMAN4 - 0KUWAIT
-
IRAQ1 - 0PALESTINE
-
JORDAN0 - 2SOUTH KOREA
Section 4
October 15, 2024
-
SOUTH KOREA3 - 2IRAQ
-
JORDAN4 - 0OMAN
-
PALESTINE2 - 2KUWAIT
Section 5
November 14/15, 2024
-
IRAQ0 - 0JORDAN
-
OMAN1 - 0PALESTINE
-
KUWAIT1 - 3SOUTH KOREA
Section 6
November 19/20, 2024
-
PALESTINE1 - 1SOUTH KOREA
-
OMAN0 - 1IRAQ
-
KUWAIT1 - 1JORDAN
Section 7
March 20, 2025
-
IRAQ0-0KUWAIT
-
SOUTH KOREA0-0OMAN
-
JORDAN0-0PALESTINE
Section 8
開催日程：2025年 3月 25日
-
KUWAIT0-0OMAN
-
PALESTINE0-0IRAQ
-
SOUTH KOREA0-0JORDAN
Section 9
June 5, 2025
-
KUWAIT0-0PALESTINE
-
OMAN0-0JORDAN
-
IRAQ0-0SOUTH KOREA
Section 10
June 10, 2025
-
SOUTH KOREA0-0KUWAIT
-
JORDAN0-0IRAQ
-
PALESTINE0-0OMAN
| Group C | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 JAPAN | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 2 | 20 | 16 |
 AUSTRALIA | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 7 |
 INDONESIA | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 9 | -3 | 6 |
 SAUDI ARABIA | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 6 | -3 | 6 |
 BAHRAIN | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 | -5 | 6 |
 CHINA | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 16 | -10 | 6 |
Round 3 Group C qualifying schedule
Section 1
September 5, 2024
-
SAUDI ARABIA1 - 1INDONESIA
-
AUSTRALIA0 - 1BAHRAIN
-
JAPAN7 - 0CHINA
Section 2
September 10, 2024
-
BAHRAIN0 - 5JAPAN
-
INDONESIA0 - 0AUSTRALIA
-
CHINA1 - 2SAUDI ARABIA
Section 3
October 10, 2024
-
BAHRAIN2 - 2INDONESIA
-
SAUDI ARABIA0 - 2JAPAN
-
AUSTRALIA3 - 1CHINA
Section 4
October 15, 2024
-
JAPAN1 - 1AUSTRALIA
-
SAUDI ARABIA0 - 0BAHRAIN
-
CHINA2 - 1INDONESIA
Section 5
November 14/15, 2024
-
AUSTRALIA0 - 0SAUDI ARABIA
-
INDONESIA0 - 4JAPAN
-
BAHRAIN0 - 1CHINA
Section 6
November 19/20, 2024
-
CHINA1 - 3JAPAN
-
BAHRAIN2 - 0AUSTRALIA
-
INDONESIA2 - 2SAUDI ARABIA
Section 7
March 20, 2025
-
AUSTRALIA0-0INDONESIA
-
SAUDI ARABIA0-0CHINA
-
JAPAN0-0BAHRAIN
Section 8
March 25, 2025
-
CHINA0-0AUSTRALIA
-
JAPAN0-0SAUDI ARABIA
-
INDONESIA0-0BAHRAIN
Section 9
June 5, 2025
-
INDONESIA0-0CHINA
-
BAHRAIN0-0SAUDI ARABIA
-
AUSTRALIA0-0JAPAN
Section 10
June 10, 2025
-
CHINA0-0BAHRAIN
-
JAPAN0-0INDONESIA
-
SAUDI ARABIA0-0AUSTRALIA
Round 4 - Asian Play-Offs
The six teams that placed third and fourth in each group of the third qualifying round will be
divided into two groups that will compete in the fourth qualifying round in October 2025, and the winners of
each group will qualify for the FIFA World Cup 26™. The second-placed teams will play two matches, and the
winner will advance to the Inter-Confederation Play Off.
Supplementary explanation
AFC Asian Qualifiers™ - Road to 26 is the final qualifying round to determine which countries will participate in the FIFA World Cup 26™ to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Teams that pass the first and second qualifying rounds, which started in October 2023, are eligible to participate.
Preliminary Joint Qualification - Round 1
Preliminary Joint Qualification - Round 1 consist of the 20 lowest ranked FIFA teams in Asia.
The 10 teams that win the two home-and-away matches will advance to the Preliminary Joint Qualification - Round 2.
Preliminary Joint Qualification - Round 2
The round 2 of qualifying will feature 36 teams in total:
The 10 teams that made it through
the round 1 and the top 26 FIFA-ranked teams in Asia.
They will compete in nine groups of four teams each.
Each group will play a round-robin tournament with two home and away matches,and the top two teams from each
group (18 teams in total) will advance to the AFC Asian Qualifiers.
Inter-Confederation Play Off
Six teams will participate in the Inter-Confederation Play Off to compete for the last two spots in the FIFA World Cup 26™ main tournament. Participating will be two teams from Concacaf and one team each from AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL, and OFC. The two teams with the highest rankings will be seeded countries and will start in the finals. The other four teams will play in the semifinals, with the winning team playing the seeded nation in the final for the right to play in the FIFA World Cup 26™.