The third round of AFC matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification was played from 5 September 2024 to 10 June 2025.
Format The 18 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 played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The top two teams of each group qualified directly for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the third and fourth-placed teams advanced to the fourth round.
Qualified teams
The following teams finished first or second in their respective second round groups:
Draw The draw for the third round was held on 27 June 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The seeding for the draw was based on the FIFA Men's World Rankings on 20 June 2024 (shown in parentheses below).
Each group contained 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.
Pot 1Pot 2Pot 3Pot 4Pot 5Pot 6 Note: Bold indicates team qualified for the World Cup. Italics indicates the team advanced to the fourth round.
Schedule The competition schedule was as follows:
MatchdayDateMatchday 15 September 2024Matchday 210 September 2024Matchday 310 October 2024Matchday 415 October 2024Matchday 514–15 November 2024Matchday 619 November 2024Matchday 720 March 2025Matchday 825 March 2025Matchday 95 June 2025Matchday 1010 June 2025
Group A
Group B
Group C
Goalscorers
Discipline A player was automatically suspended for the next match for the following infractions: Receiving a red card (red card suspensions may be extended for serious infractions) Receiving two yellow cards in two different matches (yellow card suspensions are carried forward to further qualification rounds, but not the finals or any other future international matches) The following suspensions were served during the third round:
Team Player Infraction(s) Suspended for match(es) Craig Goodwin vs Indonesia (10 September 2024) vs Japan (15 October 2024) vs Saudi Arabia (14 November 2024) Kusini Yengi vs Bahrain (5 September 2024) vs Indonesia (10 September 2024)vs China (10 October 2024) Waleed Al Hayam vs China (14 November 2024) vs Australia (19 November 2024) Abdulla Al-Khulasi vs Australia (5 September 2024) vs Saudi Arabia (15 October 2024) vs China (14 November 2024) Amine Benaddi vs Saudi Arabia (15 October 2024) vs Japan (20 March 2025) vs Indonesia (25 March 2025) Ali Madan vs Saudi Arabia (15 October 2024) vs Indonesia (25 March 2025) vs Saudi Arabia (5 June 2025) Behram Abduweli vs Saudi Arabia (10 September 2024) vs Bahrain (14 November 2024) vs Japan (19 November 2024) Lin Liangming vs Bahrain (14 November 2024) vs Saudi Arabia (20 March 2025) vs Australia (25 March 2025)vs Indonesia (5 June 2025) Wang Shangyuan vs Australia (10 October 2024) vs Saudi Arabia (20 March 2025) vs Australia (25 March 2025) Wei Shihao vs Japan (19 November 2024) vs Indonesia (5 June 2025) vs Bahrain (10 June 2025) Xie Wenneng vs Saudi Arabia (10 September 2024) vs Indonesia (15 October 2024) vs Bahrain (14 November 2024) vs Japan (19 November 2024) vs Australia (25 March 2025) vs Indonesia (5 June 2025) Marselino Ferdinan vs Bahrain (10 October 2024) vs Bahrain (25 March 2025) vs China (5 June 2025) Justin Hubner vs Vietnam (21 March 2024) vs Philippines (11 June 2024) vs Saudi Arabia (5 September 2024) vs Australia (10 September 2024) vs Saudi Arabia (19 November 2024) vs Australia (20 March 2025) Ivar Jenner vs Bahrain (10 October 2024) vs China (15 October 2024) vs Japan (14 November 2024) vs Saudi Arabia (19 November 2024) vs China (5 June 2025) vs Japan (10 June 2025) Ragnar Oratmangoen vs Bahrain (10 October 2024) vs Saudi Arabia (19 November 2024) vs Australia (20 March 2025) Maarten Paes vs Saudi Arabia (5 September 2024) vs Bahrain (25 March 2025) vs China (5 June 2025) Saman Ghoddos vs United Arab Emirates (10 September 2024) vs Uzbekistan (10 October 2024) vs Qatar (15 October 2024) Saleh Hardani vs Uzbekistan (10 October 2024) vs Qatar (15 October 2024)vs North Korea (14 November 2024) Shojae Khalilzadeh vs North Korea (14 November 2024) vs Kyrgyzstan (19 November 2024) Milad Mohammadi vs United Arab Emirates (10 September 2024) vs Qatar (5 June 2025) vs North Korea (10 June 2025) Mohammad Mohebi vs Qatar (15 October 2024) vs United Arab Emirates (20 March 2025) vs Uzbekistan (25 March 2025) Ali Al-Hamadi vs South Korea (5 June 2025) vs Jordan (10 June 2025) Amjad Attwan vs Jordan (14 November 2024) vs Oman (19 November 2024) vs Kuwait (20 March 2025) Merchas Doski vs Oman (19 November 2024) vs Kuwait (20 March 2025) vs Palestine (25 March 2025) Aymen Hussein vs Oman (19 November 2024) vs Palestine (25 March 2025) vs South Korea (5 June 2025) Mustafa Saadoon vs South Korea (15 October 2024) vs Jordan (14 November 2024) vs Oman (19 November 2024) Rebin Sulaka vs Kuwait (10 September 2024) vs Palestine (10 October 2024) Mahmoud Al-Mardi vs Palestine (20 March 2025) vs South Korea (25 March 2025) vs Oman (5 June 2025) Nizar Al-Rashdan vs South Korea (10 October 2024) vs South Korea (25 March 2025) vs Oman (5 June 2025) Ahmed Al-Dhefiri vs Jordan (5 September 2024) vs Palestine (15 October 2024) vs South Korea (14 November 2024) Muath Al-Enezi vs Oman (10 October 2024) vs South Korea (14 November 2024) vs Jordan (19 November 2024) Sultan Al-Enezi vs Iraq (20 March 2025) vs Oman (25 March 2025) vs Palestine (5 June 2025) Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli vs Iraq (20 March 2025) vs Oman (25 March 2025)vs Palestine (5 June 2025)vs South Korea (10 June 2025) Sami Al-Sanea vs Oman (10 October 2024) vs South Korea (14 November 2024) vs Jordan (19 November 2024) Yousef Nasser vs Palestine (15 October 2024) vs Iraq (20 March 2025) vs Oman (25 March 2025) Odilzhon Abdurakhmanov vs Qatar (10 October 2024) vs Uzbekistan (20 March 2025) vs Qatar (25 March 2025) Said Datsiev vs Uzbekistan (20 March 2025) vs Qatar (25 March 2025) Ermek Kenzhebayev vs North Korea (15 October 2024) vs Iran (19 November 2024) vs Uzbekistan (20 March 2025) Alimardon Shukurov vs Iran (19 November 2024) vs Qatar (25 March 2025) vs North Korea (5 June 2025) Jang Kuk-chol vs Qatar (10 September 2024) vs United Arab Emirates (10 October 2024) Jong Hwi-nam vs Qatar (20 March 2025) vs United Arab Emirates (25 March 2025) vs Kyrgyzstan (5 June 2025) Kim Kuk-jin vs Qatar (20 March 2025) vs United Arab Emirates (25 March 2025) vs Kyrgyzstan (5 June 2025) Kim Pom-hyok vs Qatar (10 September 2024) vs United Arab Emirates (10 October 2024) vs Kyrgyzstan (15 October 2024) Ri Il-song vs Qatar (10 September 2024) vs Kyrgyzstan (15 October 2024) vs Iran (14 November 2024) Ri Jo-guk vs Iran (14 November 2024) vs Qatar (20 March 2025) vs United Arab Emirates (25 March 2025) Arshad Al-Alawi vs Iraq (5 September 2024) vs South Korea (10 September 2024) Ali Al-Busaidi vs South Korea (10 September 2024) vs Jordan (5 June 2025) vs Palestine (10 June 2025) Muhsen Al-Ghassani vs South Korea (20 March 2025) vs Kuwait (25 March 2025) vs Jordan (5 June 2025) Amjad Al-Harthi vs South Korea (10 September 2024) vs Jordan (15 October 2024) vs Palestine (14 November 2024) Harib Al-Saadi vs South Korea (10 September 2024) vs Iraq (19 November 2024) vs South Korea (20 March 2025) Hamed Hamdan vs Jordan (20 March 2025) vs Iraq (25 March 2025) vs Kuwait (5 June 2025) Oday Kharoub vs South Korea (5 September 2024) vs South Korea (19 November 2024) vs Jordan (20 March 2025) Ameed Mahajna vs Iraq (10 October 2024) vs South Korea (19 November 2024) vs Jordan (20 March 2025) Camilo Saldaña vs South Korea (5 September 2024) vs Kuwait (15 October 2024) vs Oman (14 November 2024) Tamer Seyam vs South Korea (5 September 2024) vs Kuwait (15 October 2024) vs Oman (14 November 2024) Michel Termanini vs Jordan (10 September 2024) vs Iraq (10 October 2024) vs Kuwait (15 October 2024) Almoez Ali vs Kyrgyzstan (10 October 2024) vs United Arab Emirates (19 November 2024) vs North Korea (20 March 2025) Ahmed Al-Rawi vs Afghanistan (6 June 2024) vs India (11 June 2024) vs United Arab Emirates (5 September 2024) Ahmed Fathy vs Uzbekistan (14 November 2024) vs Iran (5 June 2025) vs Uzbekistan (10 June 2025) Lucas Mendes vs Kyrgyzstan (25 March 2025) vs Iran (5 June 2025)vs Uzbekistan (10 June 2025) Tarek Salman vs United Arab Emirates (5 September 2024) vs North Korea (10 September 2024) vs Kyrgyzstan (10 October 2024) Saud Abdulhamid vs China (10 September 2024) vs Japan (10 October 2024) vs Bahrain (15 October 2024) Nasser Al-Dawsari vs Tajikistan (21 March 2024) vs Jordan (11 June 2024) vs Indonesia (5 September 2024) Mohamed Kanno vs Indonesia (5 September 2024) vs China (10 September 2024) vs Japan (10 October 2024)vs Bahrain (15 October 2024)vs Australia (14 November 2024) Moon Seon-min vs Iraq (15 October 2024) vs Iraq (5 June 2025) vs Kuwait (10 June 2025) Park Yong-woo vs Iraq (15 October 2024) vs Iraq (5 June 2025) vs Kuwait (10 June 2025) Kouame Autonne vs Qatar (5 September 2024) vs North Korea (10 October 2024) vs Uzbekistan (15 October 2024) Abdulla Hamad vs Uzbekistan (15 October 2024) vs Kyrgyzstan (14 November 2024)vs Qatar (19 November 2024) Marcus Meloni vs North Korea (10 October 2024) vs Qatar (19 November 2024) vs Iran (20 March 2025) Majid Rashid vs Yemen (21 March 2024) vs Bahrain (11 June 2024) vs Qatar (5 September 2024) vs Kyrgyzstan (14 November 2024) vs Qatar (19 November 2024) vs Iran (20 March 2025) Rustam Ashurmatov vs Kyrgyzstan (10 September 2024) vs Iran (10 October 2024) vs United Arab Emirates (15 October 2024) Umar Eshmurodov vs North Korea (19 November 2024) vs Kyrgyzstan (20 March 2025) Jaloliddin Masharipov vs Qatar (14 November 2024) vs Kyrgyzstan (20 March 2025) vs Iran (25 March 2025)
See also 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC fourth round
Notes
References
External links