Tournament details | |
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Dates | 5 September 2024 – 10 June 2025 |
Teams | 18 (from 1 confederation) |
The third round of AFC matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification will be played from 5 September 2024 to 10 June 2025. [1]
The eighteen 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 will play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The top two teams of each group will qualify directly for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the third and fourth-placed teams will advance to the fourth round. [2]
The following teams finished first or second in their respective second round groups: [3]
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 contains 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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The competition schedule is expected to be as follows: [1] [6]
Matchday | Date | Matches |
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Matchday 1 | 5 September 2024 | 1 v 5, 2 v 4, 3 v 6 |
Matchday 2 | 10 September 2024 | 4 v 1, 5 v 3, 6 v 2 |
Matchday 3 | 10 October 2024 | 2 v 5, 3 v 1, 4 v 6 |
Matchday 4 | 15 October 2024 | 1 v 2, 3 v 4, 5 v 6 |
Matchday 5 | 14 November 2024 | 2 v 3, 4 v 5, 6 v 1 |
Matchday 6 | 19 November 2024 | 5 v 1, 4 v 2, 6 v 3 |
Matchday 7 | 20 March 2025 | 1 v 4, 3 v 5, 2 v 6 |
Matchday 8 | 25 March 2025 | 5 v 2, 1 v 3, 6 v 4, |
Matchday 9 | 5 June 2025 | 2 v 1, 4 v 3, 6 v 5 |
Matchday 10 | 10 June 2025 | 3 v 2, 5 v 4, 1 v 6 |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
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1 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup | — | 15 Oct | 25 Mar | 20 Mar | 5 Sep | 10 Jun | |
2 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 Jun | — | 14 Nov | 5 Sep | 10 Oct | 20 Mar | ||
3 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Fourth round | 10 Oct | 10 Jun | — | 15 Oct | 20 Mar | 5 Sep | |
4 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 Sep | 19 Nov | 5 Jun | — | 14 Nov | 10 Oct | ||
5 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 Nov | 25 Mar | 10 Sep | 10 Jun | — | 15 Oct | ||
6 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 Nov | 10 Sep | 19 Nov | 25 Mar | 5 Jun | — |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
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1 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup | — | 15 Oct | 25 Mar | 20 Mar | 5 Sep | 10 Jun | |
2 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 Jun | — | 14 Nov | 5 Sep | 10 Oct | 20 Mar | ||
3 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Fourth round | 10 Oct | 10 Jun | — | 15 Oct | 20 Mar | 5 Sep | |
4 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 Sep | 19 Nov | 5 Jun | — | 14 Nov | 10 Oct | ||
5 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 Nov | 25 Mar | 10 Sep | 10 Jun | — | 15 Oct | ||
6 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 Nov | 10 Sep | 19 Nov | 25 Mar | 5 Jun | — |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
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---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup | — | 15 Oct | 25 Mar | 20 Mar | 5 Sep | 10 Jun | |
2 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 Jun | — | 14 Nov | 5 Sep | 10 Oct | 20 Mar | ||
3 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Fourth round | 10 Oct | 10 Jun | — | 15 Oct | 20 Mar | 5 Sep | |
4 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 Sep | 19 Nov | 5 Jun | — | 14 Nov | 10 Oct | ||
5 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 Nov | 25 Mar | 10 Sep | 10 Jun | — | 15 Oct | ||
6 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 Nov | 10 Sep | 19 Nov | 25 Mar | 5 Jun | — |