Qatar and Saudi Arabia find out AFC qualifying fate for 2026 FIFA World Cup
Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the back-to-back AFC Cup winners, had already secured home advantage for the next round of qualifiers before Thursday's draw, which was made at AFC House, the headquarters of the football governing body on the continent, in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at what comes next for the AFC nations that remain part of the qualifying process.
Which AFC teams can still qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Iraq, and Oman all missed out on qualification from the third round of AFC qualifiers but have progressed to the latest stage.
How do the AFC qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup work?
Two more AFC teams will directly join the six that had already qualified in the third round for the World Cup.
One intercontinental playoffs spot will still be available beyond the fourth round of qualifiers.
How will the fourth round of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup work?
Two round-robin groups will result in the top team from each taking Asia's last two remaining automatic spots.
What is the draw for the AFC fourth round of qualifiers for the FIFA 2026 World Cup?
Qatar will host Group A, which also contains the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
Saudi Arabia welcomes Iraq and Indonesia into Group B.
When will the fourth round of AFC qualifiers for the FIFA 2026 World Cup be played?
Saudi Arabia, who are attempting to qualify for a seventh World Cup finals since 1994, will host Group A and open against Indonesia on October 8.
Indonesia will then play Graham Arnold's Iraq on October 11 before the Saudis and Iraq face-off on October 14.
Group B is hosted by Qatar, organisers of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, but who have never qualified for the finals. They will take on Oman in their first game on October 8.
UAE will face the Omanis on October 11, with Qatar and the UAE meeting on October 14.
How do the Intercontinental qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup work?
The teams that finish second in the round-robin groups in the fourth round of AFC qualifiers will meet in a playoff over two legs, home and away, in November.
The winner of that match progresses to intercontinental playoffs for the final 2026 FIFA World Cup place, which are scheduled for March 2026.
Which teams have confirmed their qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
Six teams from Asia secured qualification last month from the third round of qualifiers by finishing in the top two of the three groups at that stage.
Japan, Iran, South Korea and Australia have all participated numerous times, while Jordan and Uzbekistan will be making their first appearance.
When will all teams for the 2026 FIFA World Cup be confirmed?
The European qualification rounds will not be completed until March, with the intercontinental playoff final scheduled for March 31.
As a result, we will not know the final 48 teams for the World Cup until less than three months before the tournament.
Where will the FIFA World Cup games be in 2026?
The United States, Canada and Mexico are jointly hosting the next edition of FIFA's showpiece international event.
When is the 2026 FIFA World Cup scheduled?
The tournament begins in Mexico City on June 11 and ends with the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19.
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