2026 World Cup qualifying - AFC: Fixtures, results, table & how it works
- Japan, Australia, Iran and South Korea among favourites to qualify
- 18 nations from Asia are now competing to make it to the 2026 World Cup
- The round three group stage is now underway
By Euan Burns
We'd barely got to soak up the conclusion of Lionel Messi'a fairytale in Qatar by the time the qualifying process for the 2026 World Cup got underway.
FIFA World Cup qualification is split into federations, meaning countries play other nations from the same continent to reach football's showpiece event. The Asian Football Confederation contains some great teams who often cause pleasant surprises at World Cups.
With the AFC World Cup qualification process having got underway in October 2023, here's how it all works and what you can expect in Asia in the lead-up to the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
2026 World Cup AFC qualifying - Quick Links
How does AFC World Cup qualification work?
World Cup qualification differs in each federation. There are limits on how many teams from each continent can take part in a tournament, as well as the number of entrants in the first place.
A new, revamped format for the 2026 World Cup was announced in August 2022, taking into account the increased allocation of eight direct qualifiers and one play-off qualifier for the finals.
All of the 46 partaking AFC nations are ranked according to their FIFA ranking, so Japan are first (20th in the world) and Sri Lanka 46th (204th in the world).
First round
The first round is contested by the teams ranked 27-46 who play two-legged ties home and away. The ten tie winners go into the next round.
Second round
The second round has 36 teams; the remaining teams ranked 1-26 and the ten winners from the first round. They are divided into nine groups of four, playing each other home and away.
The nine group winners and nine runners-up advance to the third round and qualify for the AFC Asian Cup in the process.
Third round
18 teams are divided into three groups of six, playing each other home and away with the top two of each group qualifying directly for the World Cup. The third and fourth-placed teams go into the fourth round.
Fourth round
Those six teams are split into two groups of three, playing each other once at a neutral venue. The two group winners qualify for the World Cup and the two runners-up go into the fifth round.
Fifth round
These two teams compete home and away over two legs to decide which team is the Asian representative at the inter-confederation play-offs.
AFC 2026 World Cup qualifying first round results
Here are the aggregate scores from the first round of AFC World Cup qualifying:
- Afghanistan (32) 2-0 Mongolia (38)
- Maldives (30) 2-3 Bangladesh (41)
- Singapore (33) 3-1 Guam (45)
- Yemen (31) 4-1 Sri Lanka (46)
- Myanmar (34) 5-1 Macau (37)
- Cambodia (36) 0-1 Pakistan (44)
- Taiwan (29) 7-1 Timor-Leste (43)
- Indonesia (28) 12-0 Brunei (42)
- Hong Kong (27) 4-2 Bhutan (39)
- Nepal (35) 2-1 Laos (40)
*the number in brackets denotes FIFA world ranking
AFC 2026 World Cup second round qualification groups
Group A
Pos. | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goal difference | +/- | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Qatar | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | +15 | 18:3 | 16 |
2 | Kuwait | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6:6 | 7 |
3 | India | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -4 | 3:7 | 5 |
4 | Afghanistan | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -11 | 3:14 | 5 |
Group B
Pos. | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goal difference | +/- | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Japan | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | +24 | 24:0 | 18 |
2 | North Korea | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | +4 | 11:7 | 9 |
3 | Syria | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -3 | 9:12 | 7 |
4 | Myanmar | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | -25 | 3:28 | 1 |
Group C
Pos. | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goal difference | +/- | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | South Korea | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | +19 | 20:1 | 16 |
2 | China | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9:9 | 8 |
3 | Thailand | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9:9 | 8 |
4 | Singapore | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | -19 | 5:24 | 1 |
Group D
Pos. | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goal difference | +/- | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Oman | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | +9 | 11:2 | 13 |
2 | Kyrgyzstan | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | +6 | 13:7 | 11 |
3 | Malaysia | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 9:9 | 10 |
4 | Chinese Tapei | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | -15 | 2:17 | 0 |
Group E
Pos. | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goal difference | +/- | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Iran | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | +12 | 16:4 | 14 |
2 | Uzbekistan | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | +9 | 13:4 | 14 |
3 | Turkmenistan | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | -10 | 4:14 | 2 |
4 | Hong Kong | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | -11 | 4:15 | 2 |
Group F
Pos. | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goal difference | +/- | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Iraq | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | +15 | 17:2 | 18 |
2 | Indonesia | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 8:8 | 10 |
3 | Vietnam | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 6:10 | 6 |
4 | Philippines | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | -11 | 3:14 | 1 |
Group G
Pos. | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goal difference | +/- | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jordan | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | +12 | 16:4 | 13 |
2 | Saudi Arabia | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | +9 | 12:3 | 13 |
3 | Tajikistan | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | +4 | 11:7 | 8 |
4 | Pakistan | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | -25 | 1:26 | 0 |
Group H
Pos. | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goal difference | +/- | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | United Arab Emirates | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | +14 | 16:2 | 16 |
2 | Bahrain | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | +8 | 11:3 | 11 |
3 | Yemen | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -4 | 5:9 | 5 |
4 | Nepal | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | -18 | 2:20 | 1 |
Group I
Pos. | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goal difference | +/- | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Australia | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | +22 | 22:0 | 19 |
2 | Palestine | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6:6 | 8 |
3 | Lebanon | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | -3 | 5:8 | 6 |
4 | Bangladesh | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | -19 | 1:20 | 1 |
AFC 2026 World Cup third round qualification groups
Group A
Pos. | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goal difference | +/- | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Iran | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | +6 | 9:3 | 13 |
2 | Uzbekistan | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | +2 | 7:5 | 10 |
3 | United Arab Emirates | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | +3 | 7:4 | 7 |
4 | Qatar | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | -2 | 10:12 | 7 |
5 | Kyrgyzstan | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | -6 | 4:10 | 3 |
6 | North Korea | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | -3 | 5:8 | 2 |
Group B
Pos. | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goal difference | +/- | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | South Korea | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | +7 | 11:4 | 13 |
2 | Jordan | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | +4 | 8:4 | 8 |
3 | Iraq | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 4:3 | 8 |
4 | Oman | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | -2 | 6:8 | 6 |
5 | Kuwait | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | -6 | 4:10 | 3 |
6 | Palestine | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | -4 | 3:7 | 2 |
Group C
Pos. | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goal difference | +/- | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Japan | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | +14 | 19:1 | 13 |
2 | Australia | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | +1 | 4:3 | 6 |
3 | Saudi Arabia | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | -1 | 3:4 | 6 |
4 | China | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | -4 | 5:13 | 6 |
5 | Bahrain | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -1 | 3:8 | 5 |
6 | Indonesia | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | -9 | 4:9 | 3 |
AFC 2026 World Cup third round fixtures & results
Matchday 1
Date | Group | Result |
|---|---|---|
05/09/24 | A | Iran 1-0 Kyrgyzstan |
05/09/24 | A | Uzbekistan 1-0 North Korea |
05/09/24 | A | Qatar 1-3 United Arab Emirates |
05/09/24 | B | Iraq 1-0 Oman |
05/09/24 | B | South Korea 0-0 Palestine |
05/09/24 | B | Jordan 1-1 Kuwait |
05/09/24 | C | Japan 7-0 China |
05/09/24 | C | Saudi Arabia 1-1 Indonesia |
05/09/24 | C | Australia 0-1 Bahrain |
Matchday 2
Date | Kick-off Time (GMT) | Group | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
10/09/24 | 13:00 | A | North Korea 2-2 Qatar |
10/09/24 | 13:00 | C | Indonesia 0-0 Australia |
10/09/24 | 13:00 | C | China 1-2 Saudi Arabia |
10/09/24 | 15:00 | B | Palestine 1-3 Jordan |
10/09/24 | 15:00 | A | Kyrgyzstan 2-3 Uzbekistan |
10/09/24 | 15:00 | B | Oman 1-3 South Korea |
10/09/24 | 17:00 | C | Bahrain 0-5 Japan |
10/09/24 | 17:00 | A | United Arab Emirates 0-1 Iran |
10/09/24 | 19:00 | B | Kuwait 0-0 Iraq |
Matchday 3
Date | Kick-off Time (GMT) | Group | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
10/10/24 | 10:10 | C | Australia 3-1 China |
10/10/24 | 15:00 | B | Jordan 0-2 South Korea |
10/10/24 | 15:00 | A | Uzbekistan 0-0 Iran |
10/10/24 | 17:00 | A | Qatar 3-1 Kyrgyzstan |
10/10/24 | 17:00 | B | Oman 4-0 Kuwait |
10/10/24 | 17:00 | A | United Arab Emirates 1-1 North Korea |
10/10/24 | 17:00 | C | Bahrain 2-2 Indonesia |
10/10/24 | 19:00 | C | Saudi Arabia 0-2 Japan |
10/10/24 | 19:00 | B | Iraq 1-0 Palestine |
Matchday 4
Date | Kick-off Time (GMT) | Group | Fixture |
|---|---|---|---|
15/10/24 | 11:35 | C | Japan 1-1 Australia |
15/10/24 | 12:00 | B | South Korea 3-2 Iraq |
15/10/24 | 13:00 | C | China 2-1 Indonesia |
15/10/24 | 19:00 | B | Palestine 2-2 Kuwait |
15/10/24 | 15:00 | A | Kyrgyzstan 1-0 North Korea |
15/10/24 | 15:00 | A | Uzbekistan 1-0 United Arab Emirates |
15/10/24 | 17:00 | B | Jordan 4-0 Oman |
15/10/24 | 17:00 | A | Iran 4-1 Qatar |
15/10/24 | 19:00 | C | Saudi Arabia 0-0 Bahrain |
Matchday 5
Date | Kick-off Time (GMT) | Group | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
14/11/24 | 09:10 | C | Australia 0-0 Saudi Arabia |
14/11/24 | 10:00 | A | North Korea 2-3 Iran |
14/11/24 | 14:00 | C | Bahrain 0-1 China |
14/11/24 | 14:00 | B | Kuwait 1-3 South Korea |
14/11/24 | 16:00 | B | Oman 1-0 Palestine |
14/11/24 | 16:15 | B | Iraq 0-0 Jordan |
14/11/24 | 16:15 | A | Qatar 3-2 Uzbekistan |
14/11/24 | 16:15 | A | United Arab Emirates 3-0 Kyrgyzstan |
15/11/24 | 12:00 | C | Indonesia 0-4 Japan |
Matchday 6
Date | Kick-off Time (GMT) | Group | Fixture |
|---|---|---|---|
19/11/24 | 12:00 | A | North Korea vs Uzbekistan |
19/11/24 | 12:00 | C | China vs Japan |
19/11/24 | 12:00 | B | Palestine vs South Korea |
19/11/24 | 12:00 | C | Indonesia vs Saudi Arabia |
19/11/24 | 14:00 | A | Kyrgyzstan vs Iran |
19/11/24 | 16:00 | A | United Arab Emirates vs Qatar |
19/11/24 | 16:00 | B | Oman vs Iraq |
19/11/24 | 18:15 | C | Bahrain vs Australia |
19/11/24 | 18:15 | B | Kuwait vs Jordan |
Matchday 7
Date | Kick-off Time (GMT) | Group | Fixture |
|---|---|---|---|
20/03/25 | TBD | A | Iran vs United Arab Emirates |
20/03/25 | TBD | A | Uzbekistan vs Kyrgyzstan |
20/03/25 | TBD | A | Qatar vs North Korea |
20/03/25 | TBD | B | Iraq vs Kuwait |
20/03/25 | TBD | B | Jordan vs Palestine |
20/03/25 | TBD | B | South Korea vs Oman |
20/03/25 | TBD | C | Japan vs Bahrain |
20/03/25 | TBD | C | Saudi Arabia vs China |
20/03/25 | TBD | C | Australia vs Indonesia |
Matchday 8
Date | Kick-off Time (GMT) | Group | Fixture |
|---|---|---|---|
25/03/25 | TBD | A | Iran vs Uzbekistan |
25/03/25 | TBD | A | Kyrgyzstan vs Qatar |
25/03/25 | TBD | A | North Korea vs United Arab Emirates |
25/03/25 | TBD | B | Kuwait vs Oman |
25/03/25 | TBD | B | South Korea vs Jordan |
25/03/25 | TBD | B | Palestine vs Iraq |
25/03/25 | TBD | C | Japan vs Saudi Arabia |
25/03/25 | TBD | C | Indonesia vs Bahrain |
25/03/25 | TBD | C | China vs Australia |
Matchday 9
Date | Kick-off Time (GMT) | Group | Fixture |
|---|---|---|---|
05/06/24 | TBD | A | United Arab Emirates vs Uzbekistan |
05/06/24 | TBD | A | Qatar vs Iran |
05/06/24 | TBD | A | North Korea vs Kyrgyzstan |
05/06/24 | TBD | B | Iraq vs South Korea |
05/06/24 | TBD | B | Kuwait vs Palestine |
05/06/24 | TBD | B | Oman vs Jordan |
05/06/24 | TBD | C | Bahrain vs Saudi Arabia |
05/06/24 | TBD | C | Indonesia vs China |
05/06/24 | TBD | C | Australia vs Japan |
Matchday 10
Date | Kick-off Time (GMT) | Group | Fixture |
|---|---|---|---|
10/06/24 | TBD | A | Iran vs North Korea |
10/06/24 | TBD | A | Uzbekistan vs Qatar |
10/06/24 | TBD | A | Kyrgyzstan vs United Arab Emirates |
10/06/24 | TBD | B | Jordan vs Iraq |
10/06/24 | TBD | B | South Korea vs Kuwait |
10/06/24 | TBD | B | Palestine vs Oman |
10/06/24 | TBD | C | Japan vs Indonesia |
10/06/24 | TBD | C | Saudi Arabia vs Australia |
10/06/24 | TBD | C | China vs Bahrain |
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