The third round of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification was played from 25 March 2025 to 4 June 2026.
Format A total of 24 teams (3 best ranked losing teams from the first round + 18 third and fourth-placed teams from the second round + 3 winners from the play-off round) participated in the third round to compete for the final six slots in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
The 24 teams were divided into six groups of four teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. Only the group winners of each group qualified for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, where they joined the 18 teams which qualified directly from the second round.
Qualified teams
Best-ranked losing teams from the first round:
Teams finishing third or fourth in their respective second round groups:
Play-off round winners:
Seeding The draw was held on 9 December 2024 at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, at 15:00 (UTC+8). The teams were drawn into six groups of four teams each, with the seeding based on the November 2024 FIFA World Rankings.
The national teams which qualified are presented in bold.
+ FIFA Rankings as of 28 November 2024Pot 1Pot 2Pot 3Pot 4
Schedule The schedule of each matchday is as follows.
MatchdayDatesMatchday 125 March 2025Matchday 210 June 2025Matchday 39 October 2025Matchday 414 October 2025Matchday 518–19 November 202526 March 2026 (Group E only)Matchday 631 March 20264 June 2026 (Group B only)
Rules The winner of each group will qualify for the final tournament, joining the 18 teams that qualified directly (including the host).
Groups Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
Group E
Group F
Goalscorers
Notes
See also 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC third round
References
External links