World Cup qualifiers, schedule, more: AFC FIFA 2026

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World Cup qualifiers, schedule, more: AFC FIFA 2026. It is likely that the Asian qualification process for the 2026 World Cup will be difficult, at the very least requiring several group stages. Eight teams from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will be selected directly to the World Cup in 2026, while the ninth team will participate in a series of inter-confederation playoffs in order to qualify for the tournament.

It is estimated that Africa and Europe will be the only continents with more teams participating in 2026 than any other continent.

Despite the fact that each of these players plays for teams that are favorites to advance in the tournament, there is still a fluctuation in their chances of making the World Cup over the next three years, despite the fact that Heung-min Son (Spurs, South Korea), Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton, Japan), and Saman Ghoddos (Brentford, Iran).

There are a number of countries competing to win the World Cup and many of them are listed here as the format, standings, and finally the tables are listed.

Form of qualification for the Asian World Cup 2026 to be held in the Asian region (AFC)

There will be 20 teams in the first round (home and away) during the period of October 11-17, 2023

After that, there will be nine groups of 36 teams and the top two teams from each group will advance to the next round (November 2023 through June 2024).

During the third round of the World Cup, which begins in September 2024, 18 teams will be divided in three groups and will play each other in three matches. It is going to be a four-team playoff with the third-place team and the fourth-place team going head-to-head.

There will be two groups of six teams in the fourth round (starting in October 2025), with the champion of each group going on to the World Cup and the teams finishing second moving on to the fifth round.

In November 2025, the fifth round will take place: two teams will compete; the winner will advance to the interconfederation playoffs

First-round fixtures and results for Asian (AFC) World Cup qualification

October 11

Afghanistan 1-0 Mongolia

Maldives 1-1 Bangladesh

Singapore 2-1 Guam

Yemen 3-0 Sri Lanka

Myanmar 5-1 Macau

Cambodia 0-0 Pakistan

Chinese Taipei 4-0 Timor-Leste

Indonesia 6-0 Brunei

Hong Kong 4-0 Bhutan

Nepal 1-1 Laos

October 17

Mongolia 0-1 (0-2 agg) Afghanistan

Bangladesh 2-1 (3-2 agg) Maldives

Guam 0-1 (1-3 agg) Singapore

Sri Lanka 1-1 (1-4 agg) Yemen

Macau 0-0 (1-5 agg) Myanmar

Pakistan 1-0 (1-0 agg) Cambodia

Timor-Leste 0-3 (0-7 agg) Chinese Taipei

Brunei 0-6 (0-12 agg) Indonesia

Bhutan 2-0 (2-4 agg) Hong Kong

Laos 0-1 (1-2 agg) Nepal

Asian (AFC) 2026 World Cup qualification schedule — Second round

November 16

Australia vs Bangladesh — 4am ET

Japan vs Myanmar — 5:02 am ET

South Korea vs Singapore — 6am ET

Philippines vs Vietnam — 6am ET

Thailand vs China — 7:30am ET

Malaysia vs Kyrgyzstan — 8am ET

Tajikistan vs Jordan — 8am ET

Turkmenistan vs Uzbekistan — 9am ET

Lebanon vs Palestine — 9am ET

Iran vs Hong Kong — 9:30am ET

Iraq vs Indonesia — 9:45am ET

Oman vs Chinese Taipei — 10am ET

UAE vs Nepal — 10:45 am ET

Qatar vs Afghanistan — 10:45am ET

Saudi Arabia vs Pakistan — 11:30am ET

Kuwait vs India — 11:30am ET

Syria vs North Korea — Noon ET

Yemen vs Bahrain — 1pm ET

November 21

Pakistan vs Tajikistan — 4am ET

Myanmar vs North Korea — 4:30am ET

Philippines vs Indonesia — 6am ET

Chinese Taipei vs Malaysia — 6am ET

Bangladesh vs Lebanon — 6:45am ET

Singapore vs Thailand — 7am ET

Vietnam vs Iraq — 7am ET

China vs South Korea — 7am ET

Hong Kong vs Turkmenistan — 7am ET

Uzbekistan vs Iran — 8am ET

Nepal vs Yemen — 8:15am ET

India vs Qatar — 8:30am ET

Palestine vs Australia — 9am ET

Kyrgyzstan vs Oman — 9am ET

Syria vs Japan — 9:45am ET

Bahrain vs UAE — 10:45am ET

Jordan vs Saudi Arabia — 11am ET

Afghanistan vs Kuwait — Noon ET

Asian (AFC) 2026 World

Asian (AFC) 2026 World Cup qualification tables — Second round groups

Group A

Qatar

India

Kuwait

Afghanistan

Group B

Japan

Syria

North Korea

Myanmar

Group C

South Korea

China

Thailand

Singapore

Group D

Oman

Kyrgyzstan

Malaysia

Chinese Taipei

Group E

Iran

Uzbekistan

Turkmenistan

Hong Kong

Group F

Iraq

Vietnam

Philippines

Indonesia

Group G

Saudi Arabia

Jordan

Tajikistan

Pakistan

Group H

United Arab Emirates

Bahrain

Yemen or Sri Lanka

Nepal

Group I

Australia

Palestine

Lebanon

Bangladesh

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