Asian World Cup Qualifying explained: Format, qualification spots, nations

James Wilson Updated: 09 Dec 24 16:22

AFC World Cup qualification will determine which Asian nations will qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

A total of 46 Asian teams compete in AFC World Cup qualifying, with eight direct qualifying slots and one inter-confederation play-off slot.

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AFC World Cup qualification format

A revamped AFC World Cup qualification format was announced in August 2022 following the increased allocation of eight direct qualifiers and one play-off qualifier.

There are four rounds of AFC World Cup qualifying:

First round: 20 teams (ranked 27 - 46) play home-and-away ties over two legs, with the 10 winners advancing to the second round.
Second round: 36 teams (ranked 1-26 and the 10 first round winners) are divided into nine groups of four teams. The teams in each group will play one another twice - home and away. The nine group winners and runners-up advance through to the third round.
Third round: 18 advancing teams from second round are divided into three groups of six teams. The teams in each group will play each other twice - home and away. The top two teams from each group qualify directly to the FIFA World Cup, with the teams in third and fourth advancing to the fourth round.
Fourth round: The six third and fourth placed teams from the third round are divided into two groups of three teams. The teams will play each other once at a neutral venue. The winners of each group qualify for the FIFA World Cup, with the runners-up from each group advancing to the fifth round.
Fifth round: The group runners-up in the fourth round will compete in a home-and-away play-off to determine the Asian representation at the inter-confederation play-offs.

AFC World Cup qualification slots

The Asian representation at the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be significantly increased, with the allocation of slots having risen from four direct entrants and one inter-confederation play-off place ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup to eight direct entrants and one inter-confederation place.

In total, there are eight direct AFC qualification berths up for grabs ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with an opportunity for one further nation to qualify via the inter-confederation play-offs.

The inter-confederation play-offs is a six-team tournament which will see the four lowest-ranked teams in the FIFA World Rankings play each other in one-off matches, with the victors taking on the two highest-ranked teams for the final two qualifying spots for the FIFA World Cup.