The first stage (2026 World Cup and 2027 Asian Cup joint qualifiers): 20 teams ranked 27th to 46th in Asia will play two rounds of home and away games on June 65438+ 10 and June 12 and June/7, 2023, and 10 will win.
The specific competitions after the draw are: Afghanistan VS Mongolia, Maldives VS Bangladesh, Singapore VS Guam, Yemen VS Sri Lanka, Myanmar VS China and Macau, China, Cambodia VS Pakistan, Taipei, China VS East Timor, Indonesia VS Brunei, Hong Kong, China VS Bhutan, Nepal VS Laos.
The second stage (2026 World Cup and 2027 Asian Cup joint qualifiers): 36 teams (the top 26 teams in Asia and 65,438+00 teams advanced in the first stage) will be divided into 9 groups (4 teams in each group) from 2023 to June 2024.
The third stage: the 18 teams promoted in the second stage will be divided into three groups (6 teams in each group) to play the home and away double round robin from September 2024 to June 2025, and the top two teams in each group (***6 teams) will qualify for the World Cup 48.
The fourth stage: In the third stage, the third and fourth places of the three teams (***6 teams) are divided into two groups (3 teams in each group) for a single round-robin duel, and the competition time is to be determined. The winners of the two groups will advance directly to the top 48 of the World Cup, and the two teams ranked second will decide the winners through play-offs. The winning team will represent Asia in the intercontinental play-offs of the 2026 World Cup.
Asia's top World Cup teams
1, Japan. The Japanese team performed well in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. They beat Spain, Germany and other strong teams with a record of 2 wins/KLOC-0, ranking first in the group. This team has powerful players like Takumi Minamino and Kubo Jianying, and the head coach Hajime Moriyasu also showed excellent command ability. The Japanese team has always performed well in the past few World Cups and has the strength to compete with any opponent.
2. Korea. South Korea has shown strong competitiveness and resilience in this World Cup. In the face of powerful Uruguay and Ghana, they won valuable victories through tenacious defense and efficient counterattack. Sun Xingyu, the core of the team, performed well on the offensive end, posing a great threat to his opponents. South Korea has always been famous for its excellent physical fitness and tactical execution, and has also made amazing performances in the World Cup.