Road to 2026 set for kick-off in Asia

Tue, 10 Oct, 2023

Road to 2026 set for kick-off in Asia

Kuala Lumpur: The quest to reach the FIFA World Cup 2026 begins for 20 Asian teams on Thursday, October 12, 2023 in the Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1.

Having been divided into 10 pairings at the official draw ceremony two months ago, these sides will play two-legged ties – one home and one away match, on October 12 and 17 respectively. The winners on aggregate of each pairing then proceed to Round 2, where they join the remaining 26 Member Associations to continue their campaign.

Journey to 2026 begins

Thu, 07 Sep, 2023

Journey to 2026 begins

Kuala Lumpur: The long qualifying road for the FIFA World Cup 26 kicks off on Thursday with teams hoping to take their place amongst the expanded cast of 48 teams.

South American sides will be the first in action with preliminary competitions for Asia and Africa also to take off before the end of the year as nations battle it out for spots at the global Finals.
 
We take a look at the qualifying process and more for the tournament which will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and USA.

#AsianQualifiers draw - What They Said

Fri, 28 Jul, 2023

#AsianQualifiers draw - What They Said

Kuala Lumpur: The Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 and Round 2 draw for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ was conducted at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Thursday.

Teams across Asia found out who their opponents are, in the battle to reach the Finals of two of the premier national competitions in the world of football.

the-AFC.com caught up with head coaches Philippe Troussier (Vietnam), Kim Pan-gon (Malaysia) and Aleksandar Jankovic (China PR), who were all in attendance for the draw to find out their reactions to the upcoming Asian Qualifiers that are scheduled to begin on October 12 .

Teams learn Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2 opponents

Thu, 27 Jul, 2023

Teams learn Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2 opponents

Kuala Lumpur: The stage is set for Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2 for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ following the draw at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Thursday.

The 36 sides were drawn into nine groups of four, and they will compete against each team in a home-and-away round-robin format, between November 2023 and June 2024. 

Ten of the Round 2 teams will progress from Round 1 of the Preliminary Joint Qualification, with the draw conducted earlier on Thursday. As there will be 48 teams – a first – at the FIFA World Cup 2026, eight and a half slots are on offer for the Continent’s national teams. 

Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 Draw Finalised

Thu, 27 Jul, 2023

Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 Draw Finalised

Kuala Lumpur: The draw for the Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ was completed at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Thursday.

A total 20 teams were divided into 10 pairings, with each pair to play one home and one away match on October 12 and 17, 2023 respectively.