Asian Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2026

Qualifying Tournament Format

The Asian qualifying tournament for the FIFA World Cup 2026 will determine which national teams from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The tournament will be held over several rounds, with the first round starting in 2023. The format of the tournament is yet to be finalized, but it is expected to be similar to the format used for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification tournament.

Qualifying Teams

A total of 46 AFC member associations will participate in the qualifying tournament. The teams will be divided into groups and will play each other in a round-robin format. The top teams from each group will advance to the next round of the tournament.

Qualification Process

The qualification process for the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be divided into three rounds. The first round will be a preliminary round, which will be played between the lowest-ranked teams in the AFC. The winners of the preliminary round will advance to the second round, which will be a group stage. The top teams from each group in the second round will advance to the third round, which will be a knockout stage. The winners of the knockout stage will qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.