About 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)

The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) is a tournament to select Asian teams that will earn spots in the final stage of the 23rd FIFA World Cup, namely the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

On August 1, 2022, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) officially announced the qualification formats for the 2026 World Cup and the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. Asia will have 8.5 qualification slots for the 2026 World Cup, consisting of 6 direct qualification spots, 2 AFC playoff spots, and 1 intercontinental playoff spot.

Competition Progress

The Asian qualifiers for the Canada-Mexico-USA World Cup officially kicked off on October 12, 2023.

By June 11, 2024, the second round of the Asian World Cup qualifiers concluded, with 18 teams advancing, including China, Japan, South Korea, and North Korea.

On March 20, 2025, in the 7th round of Group C of the Asian World Cup Qualifiers’ Round of 18, Japan defeated Bahrain 2-0, becoming the first team in global football to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.