2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)
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Key Takeaways
- The Asian section of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification acted as qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup for national teams of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
- The qualification process involved five rounds; the first two also serving as qualification for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
- However, the AFC excluded Northern Mariana Islands from the draw for the play-off round.
The Asian section of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification acted as qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup for national teams of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). AFC teams were allocated eight direct qualifying slots and one inter-confederation play-off slot.
The qualification process involved five rounds; the first two also serving as qualification for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
Entrants
All FIFA-affiliated nations entered the joint qualification process for both the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2027 AFC Asian Cup; Northern Mariana Islands, who are not members of FIFA, would have entered through the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification play-off round. However, the AFC excluded Northern Mariana Islands from the draw for the play-off round.
Format
The qualification format was announced on 1 August 2022, having been revamped to fit the increased finals allocation of eight direct qualifiers and one play-off qualifier:
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