The AFC preliminary round of qualifiers for the 2026 Men’s World Cup was played THU 12-TUE 17 OCT 2023. The ten winning teams advanced to the first group phase. more...

The draws for the first two rounds of AFC qualifiers for the 2026 Men’s World Cup – the preliminary round and the first group phase – were held on THU 27 JUL 2023 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. All 46 AFC members that are also FIFA members entered the competition, with the top 26 earning a bye into the first group phase. more...