Qualification AFK for the World Cup 2026

The AFC World Cup qualifiers will start in October 2023 and last until October 2025. 46 countries are participating in the Asian qualification zone. They will compete for 8 direct tickets, and another one may be awarded through the intercontinental playoffs. 

There are four AFC qualifying stages in Asia, which are divided into two qualifying rounds, the main qualifying round proper and the AFC playoffs. 

AFC 1st Qualifying Round (preliminary) The first qualifying round on the continent will begin on October 12 and last until October 17, 2023. This so-called preliminary combined qualification round 1 involves 22 AFC countries, which occupy the lowest positions in the FIFA rankings. They will be divided into 11 pairs, where the winners advance to the second (preliminary) round.

 AFC 2nd Qualifying Round (preliminary) The second qualifying round in Asia will begin on November 16, 2023 and last until June 11, 2024. In this preliminary combined qualification round, the 11 winners of the first qualifying round are complemented by the top 25 teams from the FIFA AFC rankings. A total of 36 teams. They are divided into nine groups of 4 teams. In each group, each country plays six matches: home and away against each of the three opponents. From each group, the top two countries will qualify for the main part of the AFC Asian qualifying matches. 

AFC 3rd Qualifying Round (Main round) The third qualifying round will begin on September 5, 2024 and end on June 24, 2025. At this stage, the remaining 18 countries will continue on their way to the 2026 World Cup. They will be divided into 3 groups of 6 teams. Each team plays ten matches: home and away against each of the five opponents. The six countries that finished first and second in their respective groups qualify directly for the World Cup. The six countries that finished third or fourth in their group continue to play in the playoffs. 

AFC 4th Qualifying Round (playoffs) The fourth qualifying round of the Asian World Cup will be held in September and October 2025. This will be followed by the intercontinental playoffs in November 2025. The six countries ranked 3rd or 4th in the previous round are divided into two groups. In both teams, the teams play against each other once on a neutral site. The group winners are going to the World Cup. The second-place teams will play each other, and the winner will advance to the intercontinental playoffs.