The third round of the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins on Thursday, with 18 teams competing for eight spots.
The final qualifying round will finish in June 2025, but some teams could qualify for the World Cup in North America much sooner than that.
As Asia’s best players battle it out for a place at the world’s football extravaganza, here’s everything you need to know.
⚽ What is the latest stage of AFC Qualification?
After the knockout matches in the second qualifying round, the AFC qualifiers group stage was made up of the remaining 18 teams from the region, competing for the eight automatic spots plus an additional spot in the final intercontinental playoff.
⚽ How can teams qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026?
The remaining 18 teams will be split into three groups of six each and will play one home and one away match, with the top two teams automatically qualifying for the World Cup.
The top six teams that finish third and fourth from the three groups will be split into two groups, with each group of three teams playing each other once at a neutral venue. The top two teams will advance to the World Cup.
The second-placed teams will face off in a playoff for a place in the intercontinental playoffs for the remaining World Cup spots.
⚽ Which teams are still in the AFC Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup?
The 18 teams are split into three groups:
Group A
Iran, Qatar, Uzbekistan, United Arab Emirates, Kyrgyzstan, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Group B
South Korea, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Palestine, Kuwait
Group C
Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, China, Indonesia
Asia’s top 1️⃣5️⃣ teams revealed in latest #FIFARanking! pic.twitter.com/ADTiXyxKes
— #AsianQualifiers (@afcasiancup) July 18, 2024
⚽ Which AFC member countries are the favourites to qualify for the 2026 World Cup?
Qatar, the defending AFC Cup winners, and Iran, whom they defeated in the AFC Cup semi-finals, are the favourites to qualify from Group A. South Korea and Iraq are the favourites in Group B, but Jordan, who reached the continental final by beating South Korea in the AFC Cup final, are expected to be a strong challenger.
Group C is perhaps the most competitive, with past AFC Cup winners Japan and AFC powerhouses Australia the favourites to qualify, but Saudi Arabia are also expected to be strong challengers, with China and Indonesia also poised to pose a shock.
It’s the first match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers 🇶🇦.
⚽️ Qatar 🆚 United Arab Emirates
🗓️ Thursday, September 5, 2024
⏰ 19:00 (Doha time)
🏟️ Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium #AlAnnabi #Powered_By_Fans #Our_Journey_To2026 pic.twitter.com/SgjLwOCiop— Qatar Football (@QFA_EN) September 2, 2024
⚽ What are the top matches to watch in the AFC Qualifier opener?
Saudi Arabia v Indonesia
One of the biggest matches in the most competitive group will be against Saudi Arabia, who famously beat Argentina at the Qatar World Cup 2022. Al Jazeera will bring you live coverage of the match as the Green Falcons aim to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.
Standing in their way is Indonesia, the only Southeast Asian team still in the qualifiers, with Saudi Arabia having won 12 of the 15 meetings between the two teams.
South Korea vs Palestine
South Korea, the AFC’s most successful World Cup qualifying team, will face Palestine, a team that has already made history twice this season. The Lions of Canaan advanced to the knockout stages of the AFC Cup for the first time in Qatar after being past the second qualifying round for the first time. South Korea has not lost a domestic qualifying match since 2013, so the odds are stacked against Palestine.
Japan vs. China
The opening match will see two of Asia’s economic giants facing off against each other, but with contrasting performances on the football field. Japan has won the AFC Cup a record seven times and is the favorite to advance from the group. China has yet to claim the continental crown and has only appeared in one World Cup, in 2002. China’s last win against Japan was in 1998, while Japan is undefeated, having won 12 of their past 13 qualifying matches.
Palestine vs Jordan
The match will pit two neighbours who exceeded expectations in the AFC Cup in Qatar in 2023, with Jordan losing in the final and fan favourites Palestine reaching the knockout stage for the first time.
⚽ Which country has the best AFC qualification record for the FIFA World Cup?
Australia, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are all competing in the 2022 Qatar World Cup and are considered likely to qualify for the second consecutive tournament.
South Korea has appeared in 11 World Cup finals, the AFC record for most appearances.
Japan are seeking their eighth consecutive appearance, while Australia are hoping for their sixth consecutive appearance.
The AFC two giants will face a major threat in Group C from Saudi Arabia, who have appeared in the World Cup a total of seven times.
Iran has reached the final seven times so far, and this will be their fourth consecutive appearance.
Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Palestine, Bahrain, Jordan, Oman and Uzbekistan have never participated in the FIFA World Cup.
⚽ Where will the 2026 FIFA World Cup be held?
The 23rd edition of the global soccer extravaganza will be held in three North American countries, with matches taking place in Canada, Mexico and the United States during the tournament. The final itself will be held in the United States.