2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC third round
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 5 September 2024 – 10 June 2025 | 
| Teams | 18 (from 1 confederation) | 
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 90 | 
| Goals scored | 231 (2.57 per match) | 
| Attendance | 2,581,626 (28,685 per match) | 
| Top scorer(s) | 6 players (5 goals each) | 
| ← 2022  2030 →  | |
The third round of AFC matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification was played from 5 September 2024 to 10 June 2025.[1]
Format
The 18 teams that advanced from the second round (nine group winners and nine group runners-up) were divided into three groups of six teams. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The top two teams of each group qualified directly for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the third and fourth-placed teams advanced to the fourth round.[2]
Qualified teams
The following teams finished first or second in their respective second round groups:[3]
Draw
The draw for the third round was held on 27 June 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[3]
The seeding for the draw was based on the FIFA Men's World Rankings on 20 June 2024 (shown in parentheses below).[4]
Each group contained one team from each of the six pots. The draw started with Pot 6 and concluded with Pot 1, with each team drawn being placed in the corresponding position sequentially in Group A, then B, then C.[5]
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | 
|---|---|---|
| 
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| Pot 4 | Pot 5 | Pot 6 | 
| 
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Note: Bold indicates team qualified for the World Cup. Italics indicates the team advanced to the fourth round.
Schedule
The competition schedule was as follows:[1][6]
| Matchday | Date | 
|---|---|
| Matchday 1 | 5 September 2024 | 
| Matchday 2 | 10 September 2024 | 
| Matchday 3 | 10 October 2024 | 
| Matchday 4 | 15 October 2024 | 
| Matchday 5 | 14–15 November 2024 | 
| Matchday 6 | 19 November 2024 | 
| Matchday 7 | 20 March 2025 | 
| Matchday 8 | 25 March 2025 | 
| Matchday 9 | 5 June 2025 | 
| Matchday 10 | 10 June 2025 | 
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |   |   |   |   |   |   | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Iran | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 8 | +11 | 23 | 2026 FIFA World Cup | — | 2–2 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | |
| 2 |  Uzbekistan | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 7 | +7 | 21 | 0–0 | — | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | ||
| 3 |  United Arab Emirates | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 15 | 8 | +7 | 15 | Fourth round | 0–1 | 0–0 | — | 5–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | |
| 4 |  Qatar | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 17 | 24 | −7 | 13 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 1–3 | — | 3–1 | 5–1 | ||
| 5 |  Kyrgyzstan | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 18 | −6 | 8 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 3–1 | — | 1–0 | ||
| 6 |  North Korea | 10 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 21 | −12 | 3 | 2–3 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | — | 
| North Korea  | 2–2 |  Qatar | 
|---|---|---|
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| Kyrgyzstan  | 2–3 |  Uzbekistan | 
|---|---|---|
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| Iran  | 4–1 |  Qatar | 
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| North Korea  | 2–3 |  Iran | 
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| Qatar  | 3–2 |  Uzbekistan | 
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| United Arab Emirates  | 5–0 |  Qatar | 
|---|---|---|
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| Qatar  | 5–1 |  North Korea | 
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) | Pak Kwang-hun  86' | 
| Kyrgyzstan  | 3–1 |  Qatar | 
|---|---|---|
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| Iran  | 2–2 |  Uzbekistan | 
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| North Korea  | 1–2 |  United Arab Emirates | 
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| North Korea  | 2–2 |  Kyrgyzstan | 
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| Uzbekistan  | 3–0 |  Qatar | 
|---|---|---|
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| Kyrgyzstan  | 1–1 |  United Arab Emirates | 
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| Iran  | 3–0 |  North Korea | 
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Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |   |   |   |   |   |   | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  South Korea | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 20 | 7 | +13 | 22 | 2026 FIFA World Cup | — | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 4–0 | |
| 2 |  Jordan | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 8 | +8 | 16 | 0–2 | — | 0–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | ||
| 3 |  Iraq | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 15 | Fourth round | 0–2 | 0–0 | — | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–2 | |
| 4 |  Oman | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 14 | −5 | 11 | 1–3 | 0–3 | 0–1 | — | 1–0 | 4–0 | ||
| 5 |  Palestine | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 13 | −3 | 10 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 1–1 | — | 2–2 | ||
| 6 |  Kuwait | 10 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 20 | −13 | 5 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–2 | — | 
| Iraq  | 1–0 |  Oman | 
|---|---|---|
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| Palestine  | 1–3 |  Jordan | 
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| Oman  | 1–3 |  South Korea | 
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| Oman  | 4–0 |  Kuwait | 
|---|---|---|
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| South Korea  | 3–2 |  Iraq | 
|---|---|---|
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| Palestine  | 2–2 |  Kuwait | 
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| Kuwait  | 1–3 |  South Korea | 
|---|---|---|
| 
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| Palestine  | 1–1 |  South Korea | 
|---|---|---|
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| Oman  | 0–1 |  Iraq | 
|---|---|---|
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| Kuwait  | 1–1 |  Jordan | 
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| South Korea  | 1–1 |  Oman | 
|---|---|---|
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| Iraq  | 2–2 |  Kuwait | 
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) | Nasser  39', 70' | 
| Jordan  | 3–1 |  Palestine | 
|---|---|---|
| 
 | Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) | Seyam  33' | 
| South Korea  | 1–1 |  Jordan | 
|---|---|---|
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| Palestine  | 2–1 |  Iraq | 
|---|---|---|
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| Kuwait  | 0–1 |  Oman | 
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) | 
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| Oman  | 0–3 |  Jordan | 
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) | Olwan  45+7' (pen.), 51', 64' | 
| Iraq  | 0–2 |  South Korea | 
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) | 
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| Kuwait  | 0–2 |  Palestine | 
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| South Korea  | 4–0 |  Kuwait | 
|---|---|---|
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| Jordan  | 0–1 |  Iraq | 
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) | 
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Group C
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |   | .svg.png)  |   |   |   |   | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Japan | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 30 | 3 | +27 | 23 | 2026 FIFA World Cup | — | 1–1 | 0–0 | 6–0 | 7–0 | 2–0 | |
| 2 | .svg.png) Australia | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 16 | 7 | +9 | 19 | 1–0 | — | 0–0 | 5–1 | 3–1 | 0–1 | ||
| 3 |  Saudi Arabia | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 8 | −1 | 13 | Fourth round | 0–2 | 1–2 | — | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | |
| 4 |  Indonesia | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 20 | −11 | 12 | 0–4 | 0–0 | 2–0 | — | 1–0 | 1–0 | ||
| 5 |  China | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 20 | −13 | 9 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 2–1 | — | 1–0 | ||
| 6 |  Bahrain | 10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 16 | −11 | 6 | 0–5 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 0–1 | — | 
| Saudi Arabia  | 1–1 |  Indonesia | 
|---|---|---|
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| China  | 1–2 |  Saudi Arabia | 
|---|---|---|
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| Australia .svg.png) | 3–1 |  China | 
|---|---|---|
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| Bahrain  | 2–2 |  Indonesia | 
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| China  | 2–1 |  Indonesia | 
|---|---|---|
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| Australia .svg.png) | 0–0 |  Saudi Arabia | 
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| Bahrain  | 0–1 |  China | 
|---|---|---|
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| Indonesia  | 2–0 |  Saudi Arabia | 
|---|---|---|
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| Bahrain  | 2–2 | .svg.png) Australia | 
|---|---|---|
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| Australia .svg.png) | 5–1 |  Indonesia | 
|---|---|---|
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| China  | 0–2 | .svg.png) Australia | 
|---|---|---|
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| China  | 1–0 |  Bahrain | 
|---|---|---|
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Goalscorers
There were 231 goals scored in 90 matches, for an average of 2.57 goals per match.
5 goals
4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
.svg.png) Lewis Miller Lewis Miller
.svg.png) Kusini Yengi Kusini Yengi
 Mahdi Abduljabbar Mahdi Abduljabbar
 Mohamed Marhoon Mohamed Marhoon
 Zhang Yuning Zhang Yuning
 Marselino Ferdinan Marselino Ferdinan
 Mehdi Ghayedi Mehdi Ghayedi
 Ibrahim Bayesh Ibrahim Bayesh
 Ayase Ueda Ayase Ueda
 Musa Al-Taamari Musa Al-Taamari
 Mohammad Daham Mohammad Daham
 Alimardon Shukurov Alimardon Shukurov
 Kim Yu-song Kim Yu-song
 Pak Kwang-hun Pak Kwang-hun
 Muhsen Al-Ghassani Muhsen Al-Ghassani
 Abdulrahman Al-Mushaifri Abdulrahman Al-Mushaifri
 Issam Al-Sabhi Issam Al-Sabhi
 Zaid Qunbar Zaid Qunbar
 Tamer Seyam Tamer Seyam
 Akram Afif Akram Afif
 Ibrahim Al-Hassan Ibrahim Al-Hassan
 Lucas Mendes Lucas Mendes
 Abdulrahman Al-Aboud Abdulrahman Al-Aboud
 Musab Al-Juwayr Musab Al-Juwayr
 Hassan Kadesh Hassan Kadesh
 Hwang Hee-chan Hwang Hee-chan
 Oh Se-hun Oh Se-hun
 Yahya Al-Ghassani Yahya Al-Ghassani
 Eldor Shomurodov Eldor Shomurodov
1 goal
.svg.png) Aziz Behich Aziz Behich
.svg.png) Martin Boyle Martin Boyle
.svg.png) Mitchell Duke Mitchell Duke
.svg.png) Craig Goodwin Craig Goodwin
.svg.png) Connor Metcalfe Connor Metcalfe
 Behram Abduweli Behram Abduweli
 Lin Liangming Lin Liangming
 Wang Yudong Wang Yudong
 Xie Wenneng Xie Wenneng
 Thom Haye Thom Haye
 Ragnar Oratmangoen Ragnar Oratmangoen
 Rafael Struick Rafael Struick
 Sandy Walsh Sandy Walsh
 Saleh Hardani Saleh Hardani
 Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh
 Mohammad Mehdi Mohebi Mohammad Mehdi Mohebi
 Youssef Amyn Youssef Amyn
 Akam Hashim Akam Hashim
 Sajjad Jassim Sajjad Jassim
 Wataru Endo Wataru Endo
 Mao Hosoya Mao Hosoya
 Ko Itakura Ko Itakura
 Junya Itō Junya Itō
 Shūto Machino Shūto Machino
 Daizen Maeda Daizen Maeda
 Kaoru Mitoma Kaoru Mitoma
 Ryōya Morishita Ryōya Morishita
 Yukinari Sugawara Yukinari Sugawara
 Yazan Al-Arab Yazan Al-Arab
 Noor Al-Rawabdeh Noor Al-Rawabdeh
 Abdallah Nasib Abdallah Nasib
 Odilzhon Abdurakhmanov Odilzhon Abdurakhmanov
 Gulzhigit Alykulov Gulzhigit Alykulov
 Khristiyan Brauzman Khristiyan Brauzman
 Valery Kichin Valery Kichin
 Kai Merk Kai Merk
 Aleksandr Mishchenko Aleksandr Mishchenko
 Jong Il-gwan Jong Il-gwan
 Kang Kuk-chol Kang Kuk-chol
 Ri Il-song Ri Il-song
 Ri Jo-guk Ri Jo-guk
 Ali Al-Busaidi Ali Al-Busaidi
 Abdullah Fawaz Abdullah Fawaz
 Oday Kharoub Oday Kharoub
 Ameed Mahajna Ameed Mahajna
 Ahmed Al-Rawi Ahmed Al-Rawi
 Ahmed Alaaeldin Ahmed Alaaeldin
 Ahmed Al Ganehi Ahmed Al Ganehi
 Pedro Miguel Pedro Miguel
 Salem Al-Dawsari Salem Al-Dawsari
 Bae Jun-ho Bae Jun-ho
 Joo Min-kyu Joo Min-kyu
 Kim Jin-gyu Kim Jin-gyu
 Lee Kang-in Lee Kang-in
 Sultan Adil Sultan Adil
 Khaled Ibrahim Khaled Ibrahim
 Marcus Meloni Marcus Meloni
 Ali Saleh Ali Saleh
 Khojiakbar Alijonov Khojiakbar Alijonov
 Husniddin Aliqulov Husniddin Aliqulov
 Khojimat Erkinov Khojimat Erkinov
 Jaloliddin Masharipov Jaloliddin Masharipov
 Igor Sergeev Igor Sergeev
 Otabek Shukurov Otabek Shukurov
 Azizbek Turgunboev Azizbek Turgunboev
 Oston Urunov Oston Urunov
1 own goal
.svg.png) Cameron Burgess (against Japan) Cameron Burgess (against Japan)
.svg.png) Harry Souttar (against Bahrain) Harry Souttar (against Bahrain)
 Justin Hubner (against Japan) Justin Hubner (against Japan)
 Mehdi Taremi (against North Korea) Mehdi Taremi (against North Korea)
 Shogo Taniguchi (against Australia) Shogo Taniguchi (against Australia)
 Fahad Al Hajeri (against South Korea) Fahad Al Hajeri (against South Korea)
 Tamirlan Kozubayev (against Qatar) Tamirlan Kozubayev (against Qatar)
 Kim Sung-hye (against Kyrgyzstan) Kim Sung-hye (against Kyrgyzstan)
 Kim Yu-song (against Qatar) Kim Yu-song (against Qatar)
 Ismaeel Mohammad (against Iran) Ismaeel Mohammad (against Iran)
 Ali Lajami (against China) Ali Lajami (against China)
 Jung Seung-hyun (against Oman) Jung Seung-hyun (against Oman)
 Kwon Kyung-won (against Jordan) Kwon Kyung-won (against Jordan)
Discipline
A player was automatically suspended for the next match for the following infractions:[16]
- Receiving a red card (red card suspensions may be extended for serious infractions)
- Receiving two yellow cards in two different matches (yellow card suspensions are carried forward to further qualification rounds, but not the finals or any other future international matches)
The following suspensions were served during the third round:
| Team | Player | Infraction(s) | Suspended for match(es) | 
|---|---|---|---|
| .svg.png) Australia | Craig Goodwin |  vs Indonesia (10 September 2024)  vs Japan (15 October 2024) | vs Saudi Arabia (14 November 2024) | 
| Kusini Yengi |  vs Bahrain (5 September 2024) | vs Indonesia (10 September 2024) vs China (10 October 2024) | |
|  Bahrain | Waleed Al Hayam |  vs China (14 November 2024) | vs Australia (19 November 2024) | 
| Abdulla Al-Khulasi |  vs Australia (5 September 2024)  vs Saudi Arabia (15 October 2024) | vs China (14 November 2024) | |
| Amine Benaddi |  vs Saudi Arabia (15 October 2024)  vs Japan (20 March 2025) | vs Indonesia (25 March 2025) | |
| Ali Madan |  vs Saudi Arabia (15 October 2024)  vs Indonesia (25 March 2025) | vs Saudi Arabia (5 June 2025) | |
|  China | Behram Abduweli |  vs Saudi Arabia (10 September 2024)  vs Bahrain (14 November 2024) | vs Japan (19 November 2024) | 
| Lin Liangming |  vs Bahrain (14 November 2024)  vs Saudi Arabia (20 March 2025) | vs Australia (25 March 2025) vs Indonesia (5 June 2025) | |
| Wang Shangyuan |  vs Australia (10 October 2024)  vs Saudi Arabia (20 March 2025) | vs Australia (25 March 2025) | |
| Wei Shihao |  vs Japan (19 November 2024)  vs Indonesia (5 June 2025) | vs Bahrain (10 June 2025) | |
| Xie Wenneng |  vs Saudi Arabia (10 September 2024)  vs Indonesia (15 October 2024) | vs Bahrain (14 November 2024) | |
|  vs Japan (19 November 2024)  vs Australia (25 March 2025) | vs Indonesia (5 June 2025) | ||
|  Indonesia | Marselino Ferdinan |  vs Bahrain (10 October 2024)  vs Bahrain (25 March 2025) | vs China (5 June 2025) | 
| Justin Hubner |  vs Vietnam (21 March 2024)  vs Philippines (11 June 2024) | vs Saudi Arabia (5 September 2024) | |
|  vs Australia (10 September 2024)    vs Saudi Arabia (19 November 2024) | vs Australia (20 March 2025) | ||
| Ivar Jenner |  vs Bahrain (10 October 2024)  vs China (15 October 2024) | vs Japan (14 November 2024) | |
|  vs Saudi Arabia (19 November 2024)  vs China (5 June 2025) | vs Japan (10 June 2025) | ||
| Ragnar Oratmangoen |  vs Bahrain (10 October 2024)  vs Saudi Arabia (19 November 2024) | vs Australia (20 March 2025) | |
| Maarten Paes |  vs Saudi Arabia (5 September 2024)  vs Bahrain (25 March 2025) | vs China (5 June 2025) | |
|  Iran | Saman Ghoddos |  vs United Arab Emirates (10 September 2024)  vs Uzbekistan (10 October 2024) | vs Qatar (15 October 2024) | 
| Saleh Hardani |  vs Uzbekistan (10 October 2024) | vs Qatar (15 October 2024) vs North Korea (14 November 2024) | |
| Shojae Khalilzadeh |  vs North Korea (14 November 2024) | vs Kyrgyzstan (19 November 2024) | |
| Milad Mohammadi |  vs United Arab Emirates (10 September 2024)    vs Qatar (5 June 2025) | vs North Korea (10 June 2025) | |
| Mohammad Mohebi |  vs Qatar (15 October 2024)  vs United Arab Emirates (20 March 2025) | vs Uzbekistan (25 March 2025) | |
|  Iraq | Ali Al-Hamadi |  vs South Korea (5 June 2025) | vs Jordan (10 June 2025) | 
| Amjad Attwan |  vs Jordan (14 November 2024)  vs Oman (19 November 2024) | vs Kuwait (20 March 2025) | |
| Merchas Doski |  vs Oman (19 November 2024)  vs Kuwait (20 March 2025) | vs Palestine (25 March 2025) | |
| Aymen Hussein |  vs Oman (19 November 2024)  vs Palestine (25 March 2025) | vs South Korea (5 June 2025) | |
| Mustafa Saadoon |  vs South Korea (15 October 2024)  vs Jordan (14 November 2024) | vs Oman (19 November 2024) | |
| Rebin Sulaka |  vs Kuwait (10 September 2024) | vs Palestine (10 October 2024) | |
|  Jordan | Mahmoud Al-Mardi |  vs Palestine (20 March 2025)  vs South Korea (25 March 2025) | vs Oman (5 June 2025) | 
| Nizar Al-Rashdan |  vs South Korea (10 October 2024)  vs South Korea (25 March 2025) | vs Oman (5 June 2025) | |
|  Kuwait | Ahmed Al-Dhefiri |  vs Jordan (5 September 2024)  vs Palestine (15 October 2024) | vs South Korea (14 November 2024) | 
| Muath Al-Enezi |  vs Oman (10 October 2024)  vs South Korea (14 November 2024) | vs Jordan (19 November 2024) | |
| Sultan Al-Enezi |  vs Iraq (20 March 2025)  vs Oman (25 March 2025) | vs Palestine (5 June 2025) | |
| Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli |  vs Iraq (20 March 2025) | vs Oman (25 March 2025) vs Palestine (5 June 2025) vs South Korea (10 June 2025) | |
| Sami Al-Sanea |  vs Oman (10 October 2024)  vs South Korea (14 November 2024) | vs Jordan (19 November 2024) | |
| Yousef Nasser |  vs Palestine (15 October 2024)  vs Iraq (20 March 2025) | vs Oman (25 March 2025) | |
|  Kyrgyzstan | Odilzhon Abdurakhmanov |  vs Qatar (10 October 2024)  vs Uzbekistan (20 May 2025) | vs Qatar (25 May 2025) | 
| Said Datsiev |  vs Uzbekistan (20 May 2025) | vs Qatar (25 May 2025) | |
| Ermek Kenzhebayev |  vs North Korea (15 October 2024)  vs Iran (19 November 2024) | vs Uzbekistan (20 May 2025) | |
| Alimardon Shukurov |  vs Iran (19 November 2024)  vs Qatar (25 May 2025) | vs North Korea (5 June 2025) | |
|  North Korea | Jang Kuk-chol |  vs Qatar (10 September 2024) | vs United Arab Emirates (10 October 2024) | 
| Jong Hwi-nam |  vs Qatar (20 March 2025)  vs United Arab Emirates (25 March 2025) | vs Kyrgyzstan (5 June 2025) | |
| Kim Kuk-jin |  vs Qatar (20 March 2025)  vs United Arab Emirates (25 March 2025) | vs Kyrgyzstan (5 June 2025) | |
| Kim Pom-hyok |  vs Qatar (10 September 2024)  vs United Arab Emirates (10 October 2024) | vs Kyrgyzstan (15 October 2024) | |
| Ri Il-song |  vs Qatar (10 September 2024)  vs Kyrgyzstan (15 October 2024) | vs Iran (14 November 2024) | |
| Ri Jo-guk |  vs Iran (14 November 2024)  vs Qatar (20 March 2025) | vs United Arab Emirates (25 March 2025) | |
|  Oman | Arshad Al-Alawi |    vs Iraq (5 September 2024) | vs South Korea (10 September 2024) | 
| Ali Al-Busaidi |  vs South Korea (10 September 2024)  vs Jordan (5 June 2025) | vs Palestine (10 June 2025) | |
| Muhsen Al-Ghassani |  vs South Korea (20 March 2025)  vs Kuwait (25 March 2025) | vs Jordan (5 June 2025) | |
| Amjad Al-Harthi |  vs South Korea (10 September 2024)  vs Jordan (15 October 2024) | vs Palestine (14 November 2024) | |
| Harib Al-Saadi |  vs South Korea (10 September 2024)  vs Iraq (19 November 2024) | vs South Korea (20 March 2025) | |
|  Palestine | Hamed Hamdan |  vs Jordan (20 March 2025)  vs Iraq (25 March 2025) | vs Kuwait (5 June 2025) | 
| Oday Kharoub |  vs South Korea (5 September 2024)  vs South Korea (19 November 2024) | vs Jordan (20 March 2025) | |
| Ameed Mahajna |  vs Iraq (10 October 2024)  vs South Korea (19 November 2024) | vs Jordan (20 March 2025) | |
| Camilo Saldaña |  vs South Korea (5 September 2024)    vs Kuwait (15 October 2024) | vs Oman (14 November 2024) | |
| Tamer Seyam |  vs South Korea (5 September 2024)  vs Kuwait (15 October 2024) | vs Oman (14 November 2024) | |
| Michel Termanini |  vs Jordan (10 September 2024)  vs Iraq (10 October 2024) | vs Kuwait (15 October 2024) | |
|  Qatar | Almoez Ali |  vs Kyrgyzstan (10 October 2024)  vs United Arab Emirates (19 November 2024) | vs North Korea (20 March 2025) | 
| Ahmed Al-Rawi |  vs Afghanistan (6 June 2024)  vs India (11 June 2024) | vs United Arab Emirates (5 September 2024) | |
| Ahmed Fathy |  vs Uzbekistan (14 November 2024)  vs Iran (5 June 2025) | vs Uzbekistan (10 June 2025) | |
| Lucas Mendes |  vs Kyrgyzstan (25 March 2025) | vs Iran (5 June 2025) vs Uzbekistan (10 June 2025) | |
| Tarek Salman |  vs United Arab Emirates (5 September 2024)  vs North Korea (10 September 2024) | vs Kyrgyzstan (10 October 2024) | |
|  Saudi Arabia | Saud Abdulhamid |  vs China (10 September 2024)  vs Japan (10 October 2024) | vs Bahrain (15 October 2024) | 
| Nasser Al-Dawsari |  vs Tajikistan (21 March 2024)  vs Jordan (11 June 2024) | vs Indonesia (5 September 2024) | |
| Mohamed Kanno |  vs Indonesia (5 September 2024)  vs China (10 September 2024) | vs Japan (10 October 2024) vs Bahrain (15 October 2024) vs Australia (14 November 2024) | |
|  South Korea | Moon Seon-min |  vs Iraq (15 October 2024)  vs Iraq (5 June 2025) | vs Kuwait (10 June 2025) | 
| Park Yong-woo |  vs Iraq (15 October 2024)  vs Iraq (5 June 2025) | vs Kuwait (10 June 2025) | |
|  United Arab Emirates | Kouame Autonne |  vs Qatar (5 September 2024)  vs North Korea (10 October 2024) | vs Uzbekistan (15 October 2024) | 
| Abdulla Hamad |  vs Uzbekistan (15 October 2024) | vs Kyrgyzstan (14 November 2024) vs Qatar (19 November 2024) | |
| Marcus Meloni |  vs North Korea (10 October 2024)  vs Qatar (19 November 2024) | vs Iran (20 March 2025) | |
| Majid Rashid |  vs Yemen (21 March 2024)  vs Bahrain (11 June 2024) | vs Qatar (5 September 2024) | |
|  vs Kyrgyzstan (14 November 2024)  vs Qatar (19 November 2024) | vs Iran (20 March 2025) | ||
|  Uzbekistan | Rustam Ashurmatov |  vs Kyrgyzstan (10 September 2024)  vs Iran (10 October 2024) | vs United Arab Emirates (15 October 2024) | 
| Umar Eshmurodov |  vs North Korea (19 November 2024) | vs Kyrgyzstan (20 March 2025) | |
| Jaloliddin Masharipov |  vs Qatar (14 November 2024)  vs Kyrgyzstan (20 March 2025) | vs Iran (25 March 2025) | 
See also
Notes
- ^ a b c North Korea chose Vientiane, Laos, as their home site for their matches against Qatar, Iran and Uzbekistan due to "security concerns".[7][8]
- ^ AFC moved the match to a neutral venue due to security concerns relating to the October 2024 Israeli strikes on Iran (Operation Days of Repentance).[9]
- ^ a b North Korea chose Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as their home site for their matches against the United Arab Emirates and Kyrgyzstan due to "security concerns".[10]
- ^ a b c d e Palestine played all their home matches at a neutral venue until further notice, due to the ongoing Gaza war.[11]
- ^ a b Because of traffic accidents holding up the Australians on the Shuto Expressway, Football Australia and JFA jointly requested to slightly postpone the match, but were denied by the AFC match commissioner.[12][13] Australia started warming up at 19:06, 29 minutes before kick-off.[13] Australia, staying in the Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo in downtown Bunkyō, Tokyo,[12][14] took 2 hours 9 minutes (16:37–18:46) to arrive the stadium via chartered coach,[12] while ordinary driving time from Tokyo Station is estimated to be 40 minutes, according to the stadium.[15]
References
- ^ a b "AFC Competitions Calendar (Jul 2024 – Jun 2025)" (PDF). the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 15 May 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ "Asia's pathway to the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup 2027 confirmed". the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 1 August 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Third round cast finalised". the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 12 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
- ^ "Road to 26 draw to reveal riveting battles for Asian contenders". the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 21 June 2024. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
- ^ "Draw procedures for the AFC Preliminary Draw for the FIFA World Cup 26" (PDF). FIFA. 21 June 2024. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
- ^ "Road to 26 - Draw Results & Match Schedule" (PDF). the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
- ^ Reddy, Shreyas (16 August 2024). "North Korea moves World Cup qualifier from Pyongyang due to 'security concerns'". NK News. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
- ^ "Latest update on AFC Asian Qualifiers - Road to 26". the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 21 October 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ "Latest update on AFC Asian Qualifiers - Road to 26". the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 10 October 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
- ^ Wragg, Thomas (6 March 2025). "North Korea v UAE to be held in Riyadh". Gulf News. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
- ^ "Malaysia to host Palestine vs Jordan World Cup Qualifier match". TheSun.my. 8 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
- ^ a b c Smyth, Rob (15 October 2024). "Admirable defensive performance earns the Socceroos a vital point in a match of two own goals against the Samurai Blue". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 October 2024. Our man in Tokyo says both teams requested a delay to the kick-off and were rejected by the Asian Football Confederation. That's pretty ordinary, and there are a few alternative words as well— Socceroos team bus set out at 4:37pm from Bunkyo and arrived in Saitama 6:46pm – Two hours and nine minutes. JFA and FA requested a delay to kickoff but AFC declined— Joey Lynch 
- ^ a b McKern, James (15 October 2024). "Socceroos dudded by 'scandalous' decision after chaotic scenes unfold". News.com.au. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ Australia men's national soccer team [@Socceroos] (15 October 2024). "One final stretch of the legs on matchday. Tonight's kick off in Japan awaits" (Tweet). Retrieved 15 October 2024 – via Twitter. [photos of Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo] 
- ^ "Directions". stadium2002.com. Saitama Prefectural Park Association. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023. By Car: Urawa interchange - 10 minutes, Iwatsuki interchange - 15 minutes, Tokyo Station - 40 minutes, Haneda Airport - 50 minutes 
- ^ "Regulations: FIFA World Cup 2026 Preliminary Competition" (PDF). FIFA. June 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
External links
- Asian Qualifiers: Road to 26 playlist on YouTube