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Yesterday, Tuesday, the ultimate sixth spherical of the second spherical of the 2026 World Cup and 2027 Asian Cup double qualifiers got here to an finish, and the contracts of the gamers within the decisive third spherical of qualifiers have been additionally accomplished.
18 groups have retained their {qualifications} to enter the decisive third spherical, together with 9 Arab groups, particularly: Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Japan, North Korea , South Korea, Iran, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Australia, China and Kyrgyzstan.
These 18 groups additionally retain their {qualifications} for the 2027 Asian Cup within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
– Date of the decisive spherical of attracts
The AFC has set Thursday, June 27, 2024 because the decisive draw date for the third spherical of the World Cup qualifiers in Asia.
The draw shall be held in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia.
– Qualification system
Based on the qualifying system, the 18 groups that certified within the second spherical of the third stage have been divided into 3 teams, with 6 groups in every group. The groups will play one another backwards and forwards from September 2024 to June 2025, with the highest two groups assured to qualify instantly for the 2026 World Cup, which is able to see… 48 groups from totally different continents around the globe competing as a substitute of 32.
The Asian continent’s share of qualification for the expanded World Cup has elevated because it secured eight direct berths, with the opportunity of rising this to 9 berths making an allowance for the play-off spots, rising the possibilities of many objectives The workforce superior for the primary time in historical past.
After the third stage (six groups advance), the fourth stage qualifiers shall be entered, together with the six groups ranked third and fourth within the third spherical group, divided into two teams of three groups every.
The fourth stage of the group stage shall be held from October to November 2025. The primary place within the two teams will instantly advance to the World Cup, and the second place in every group will advance to the knockout rounds. The winner will advance to the mainland playoff qualifiers.
