Photo by Eslam Mohammed Abdelmaksoud
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has officially announced that Qatar and Saudi Arabia will co-host the Asian qualifying playoffs for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to take place from October 8 to 14, 2025. This final round will determine the last two Asian teams to gain direct entry into football’s most prestigious tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Six teams—comprising the third- and fourth-placed finishers from each of the three groups in the recently concluded third round of AFC qualifying—will compete in this decisive playoff stage. They will be split into two groups of three, battling it out in a centralised format. The winners of each group will secure Asia’s two remaining automatic qualification spots for the World Cup.
Meanwhile, the runners-up from each group will move on to a final playoff stage. These matches are scheduled for November 13 and 18, 2025. The winners of these encounters will earn a place in the inter-confederation playoffs, giving them one last opportunity to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
The draw to determine the composition of the playoff groups will take place on July 17, 2025, after which venues for each match will be officially confirmed.
Recap of the Third Round of AFC Qualifying
The third round of AFC qualifying involved 18 teams divided into three groups of six. The top two teams from each group secured automatic berths at the World Cup, accounting for six of the eight slots allocated to Asia. The teams finishing in third and fourth place in each group advanced to the final playoff round, while the bottom two in each group were eliminated from contention.
Palestine was the final team to exit the race, narrowly missing out after losing to Oman via a late penalty. Despite the disappointment, it marked the furthest Palestine has progressed in a World Cup qualifying campaign.
Teams Already Qualified
Six Asian teams have already punched their tickets to the 2026 World Cup. Japan was the first to qualify, dominating Group C with an unbeaten campaign. Australia joined them by finishing second in the same group, edging out Saudi Arabia on the final matchday.
In a historic development, Jordan and Uzbekistan both qualified for their first-ever World Cup appearances. Jordan finished second behind South Korea in Group A, while Uzbekistan claimed the runner-up position in Group B behind Iraq.
Teams Still in the Hunt
The six remaining teams vying for a place at the 2026 tournament are Indonesia, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Among these, Qatar, who hosted the 2022 World Cup and are the reigning AFC Asian Cup champions, endured a difficult campaign that saw them finish fourth in Group A. UAE placed third in the same group.
Indonesia, seeking only their second World Cup appearance, clinched fourth in Group C, narrowly beating China to the final playoff spot. Saudi Arabia took third in the same group. In Group B, Iraq and Oman finished third and fourth, respectively, to keep their qualification hopes alive.
Looking Ahead to the 2027 AFC Asian Cup
In addition to the World Cup qualifiers, attention is also turning to the next AFC Asian Cup, which is set to be hosted by Saudi Arabia in 2027. The tournament will follow a lengthy qualification process that began in October 2023.
The first round featured 20 teams, ranked 27 to 46, who played in home-and-away playoffs. The winners advanced to the second round, where they joined the top 26 ranked teams. These 36 teams were divided into nine groups, with matches held throughout 2023 and 2024.
The top two teams from each group not only qualified for the 2027 Asian Cup but also advanced in the AFC World Cup qualifying process. A third and final round of Asian Cup qualifiers is currently underway to determine the remaining spots in the 2027 tournament lineup, joining the 18 teams that recently concluded their World Cup qualification campaigns.
As both qualification journeys continue to unfold, Asian football is set for a dramatic few months, with crucial fixtures and career-defining moments looming on the horizon.
