Nine group winners and their runners-up from the second round have been divided into three groups of six teams in Round 3 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup AFC Asian Qualifiers. The top two sides from each group will earn direct qualification for the finals hosted by USA, Canada and Mexico. The third and fourth-placed teams will advance to the fourth round to fill the remaining slots. A maximum of nine teams from Asia, eight directly and one entering the inter-confederation playoffs could qualify for the World Cup after it expanded to 48 teams.
Group A will have Iran and previous hosts Qatar taking on another Middle-East giant UAE with Uzbekistan, Kyrgyz Republic and North Korea. In Group B, South Korea will face the challenges of Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Palestine and Kuwait. However, the major talking point will be around Group C which will throw up fixtures between heavyweights like Japan, Australia and Saudi Arabia. Bahrain, China and Indonesia will try to pull off an upset in the group. The teams will play in home and away format from 5 September 2024 to 10 June 2025.
Here are the groups and fixtures of the 2026 FIFA World Cup AFC Asian Qualifiers Round 3
Group A
Iran
Qatar
Uzbekistan
UAE
Kyrgyz Republic
North Korea
Fixtures
5 September 2024
Iran vs Kyrgyz Republic - Azadi Stadium, Tehran
Qatar vs UAE
Uzbekistan vs North Korea - Milliy Stadium, Tashkent
10 September 2024
UAE vs Iran
Kyrgyz Republic vs Uzbekistan - Dolen Omurzakov Stadium, Bishkek
North Korea vs Qatar
10 October 2024
Qatar vs Kyrgyz Republic
Uzbekistan vs Iran - Milliy Stadium, Tashkent
UAE vs North Korea
15 October 2024
Iran vs Qatar - Azadi Stadium, Tehran
Uzbekistan vs UAE - Milliy Stadium, Tashkent
Kyrgyz Republic vs North Korea - Dolen Omurzakov Stadium, Bishkek
14 November 2024
Qatar vs Uzbekistan
UAE vs Kyrgyz Republic
North Korea vs Iran
19 November 2024
UAE vs Qatar
Kyrgyz Republic vs Iran - Dolen Omurzakov Stadium, Bishkek
North Korea vs Uzbekistan
20 March 2025
Iran vs UAE - Azadi Stadium, Tehran
Qatar vs North Korea
Uzbekistan vs Kyrgyz Republic - Milliy Stadium, Tashkent
25 March 2025
Iran vs Uzbekistan -
Kyrgyz Republic vs Qatar
North Korea vs UAE
5 June 2025
Qatar vs Iran
UAE vs Uzbekistan
North Korea vs Kyrgyz Republic
10 June 2025
Iran vs North Korea - Azadi Stadium, Tehran
Uzbekistan vs Qatar - Milliy Stadium, Tashkent
Kyrgyz Republic vs UAE - Dolen Omurzakov Stadium, Bishkek
Group B
South Korea
Iraq
Jordan
Oman
Palestine
Kuwait
Fixtures
5 September 2024
South Korea vs Palestine
Iraq vs Oman - Basra International Stadium, Basra
Jordan vs Kuwait - Amman International Stadium, Amman
10 September 2024
Oman vs South Korea - Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat
Palestine vs Jordan
Kuwait vs Iraq
10 October 2024
Iraq vs Palestine - Basra International Stadium, Basra
Jordan vs South Korea - Amman International Stadium, Amman
Oman vs Kuwait - Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat
15 October 2024
South Korea vs Iraq
Jordan vs Oman - Amman International Stadium, Amman
Palestine vs Kuwait
14 November 2024
Iraq vs Jordan - Basra International Stadium, Basra
Oman vs Palestine - Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat
Kuwait vs South Korea
19 November 2024
Oman vs Iraq - Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat
Palestine vs South Korea
Kuwait vs Jordan
20 March 2025
South Korea vs Oman
Iraq vs Kuwait - Basra International Stadium, Basra
Jordan vs Palestine - Amman International Stadium, Amman
25 March 2025
South Korea vs Jordan
Palestine vs Iraq
Kuwait vs Oman
5 June 2025
Iraq vs South Korea - Basra International Stadium, Basra
Oman vs Jordan - Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat
Kuwait vs Palestine
10 June 2025
South Korea vs Kuwait
Jordan vs Iraq - Amman International Stadium, Amman
Palestine vs Oman
Group C
Japan
Australia
Saudi Arabia
Bahrain
China
Indonesia
Fixtures
5 September 2024
Japan vs China
Australia vs Bahrain
Saudi Arabia vs Indonesia
10 September 2024
Bahrain vs Japan - Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa
China vs Saudi Arabia
Indonesia vs Australia - Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium, Surabaya
10 October 2024
Australia vs China
Saudi Arabia vs Japan
Bahrain vs Indonesia - Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa
15 October 2024
Japan vs Australia
Saudi Arabia vs Bahrain
China vs Indonesia
14 November 2024
Australia vs Saudi Arabia
Bahrain vs China
Indonesia vs Japan
19 November 2024
Bahrain vs Australia - Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa
China vs Japan
Indonesia vs Saudi Arabia - Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta
20 March 2025
Japan vs Bahrain
Australia vs Indonesia
Saudi Arabia vs China
25 March 2025
Japan vs Saudi Arabia
China vs Australia
Indonesia vs Bahrain
5 June 2025
Australia vs Japan
Bahrain vs Saudi Arabia - Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa
Indonesia vs China
10 June 2025
Japan vs Indonesia
Saudi Arabia vs Australia
China vs Bahrain
