Tournament details | |
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Dates | 5 September 2024 – 10 June 2025 |
Teams | 18 (from 1 confederation) |
Tournament statistics | |
Matches played | 18 |
Goals scored | 45 (2.5 per match) |
Attendance | 587,335 (32,630 per match) |
Top scorer(s) | Takumi Minamino Hidemasa Morita Ayase Ueda Yazan Al-Naimat Hassan Kadesh (2 goals each) |
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]
From the teams that advance to the fourth round, the two teams with the best results in this round also receive the right to host the fourth round groups.[3]
The following teams finished first or second in their respective second round groups:[4]
The draw for the third round was held on 27 June 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[4]
The seeding for the draw was based on the FIFA Men's World Rankings on 20 June 2024 (shown in parentheses below).[5]
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.[6]
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][7]
Matchday | Date |
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Matchday 1 | 5 September 2024 |
Matchday 2 | 10 September 2024 |
Matchday 3 | 10 October 2024 |
Matchday 4 | 15 October 2024 |
Matchday 5 | 14–15 November 2024 |
Matchday 6 | 19 November 2024 |
Matchday 7 | 20 March 2025 |
Matchday 8 | 25 March 2025 |
Matchday 9 | 5 June 2025 |
Matchday 10 | 10 June 2025 |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | |||||||
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1 | Uzbekistan | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 6 | 2026 FIFA World Cup | — | 10 Oct | 15 Oct | 1–0 | 10 Jun | 20 Mar | |
2 | Iran | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 6 | 25 Mar | — | 20 Mar | 10 Jun | 15 Oct | 1–0 | ||
3 | United Arab Emirates | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 3 | Fourth round | 5 Jun | 0–1 | — | 10 Oct | 19 Nov | 14 Nov | |
4 | North Korea | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 1 | 19 Nov | 14 Nov | 25 Mar | — | 2–2 | 5 Jun | ||
5 | Qatar | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 1 | 14 Nov | 5 Jun | 1–3 | 20 Mar | — | 10 Oct | ||
6 | Kyrgyzstan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 0 | 2–3 | 19 Nov | 10 Jun | 15 Oct | 25 Mar | — |
Uzbekistan | 1–0 | North Korea |
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Iran | 1–0 | Kyrgyzstan |
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Qatar | 1–3 | United Arab Emirates |
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North Korea | 2–2 | Qatar |
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Kyrgyzstan | 2–3 | Uzbekistan |
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United Arab Emirates | 0–1 | Iran |
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Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | |||||||
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1 | Jordan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 4 | 2026 FIFA World Cup | — | 10 Oct | 10 Jun | 1–1 | 20 Mar | 15 Oct | |
2 | South Korea | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 4 | 25 Mar | — | 15 Oct | 10 Jun | 0–0 | 20 Mar | ||
3 | Iraq | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4 | Fourth round | 14 Nov | 5 Jun | — | 20 Mar | 10 Oct | 1–0 | |
4 | Kuwait | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 19 Nov | 14 Nov | 0–0 | — | 5 Jun | 25 Mar | ||
5 | Palestine | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 1 | 1–3 | 19 Nov | 25 Mar | 15 Oct | — | 10 Jun | ||
6 | Oman | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 0 | 5 Jun | 1–3 | 19 Nov | 10 Oct | 14 Nov | — |
Palestine | 1–3 | Jordan |
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Oman | 1–3 | South Korea |
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Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | |||||||
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1 | Japan | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | +12 | 6 | 2026 FIFA World Cup | — | 25 Mar | 20 Mar | 10 Jun | 15 Oct | 7–0 | |
2 | Saudi Arabia | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 | 10 Oct | — | 15 Oct | 1–1 | 10 Jun | 20 Mar | ||
3 | Bahrain | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 3 | Fourth round | 0–5 | 5 Jun | — | 10 Oct | 19 Nov | 14 Nov | |
4 | Indonesia | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 15 Nov | 19 Nov | 25 Mar | — | 0–0 | 5 Jun | ||
5 | Australia | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 5 Jun | 14 Nov | 0–1 | 20 Mar | — | 10 Oct | ||
6 | China | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 9 | −8 | 0 | 19 Nov | 1–2 | 10 Jun | 15 Oct | 25 Mar | — |
Saudi Arabia | 1–1 | Indonesia |
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China | 1–2 | Saudi Arabia |
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There have been 45 goals scored in 18 matches, for an average of 2.5 goals per match (as of 10 September 2024).
2 goals
1 goal
1 own goal