After the end of the second round of the double qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup and the 2027 Asian Cup, the classification of the teams in the third round draw, which is decisive in the identity of the teams qualifying for the World Cup in America, Mexico and Canada, will be determined.
The Asian continent has 8 direct seats in the 2026 World Cup, 6 of which will be decided in the third round, and 2 in the fourth round, with another half of the seats in a team that will compete in the global playoff.
The draw for the third round of the qualifiers will be held on June 27, with the teams being divided into 6 levels depending on their latest FIFA ranking.
The third round will be played in a group system, where the 18 teams will be divided into 3 groups, each group containing 6 teams, with the first and second placed teams qualifying for the World Cup.
The defeat of the Saudi team against its Jordanian counterpart in the last round of the second round caused a decline in its classification, which portends “Al-Akhdar” facing somewhat difficult confrontations in the third round.
Below we review together the classification of the teams before the draw for the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Asia.
Ranking of the teams in the draw for the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Asia
- First classification: Japan – Iran – South Korea.
- Second classification: Iraq – Qatar – Australia.
- Third classification: Saudi Arabia – Uzbekistan – Jordan.
- Fourth classification: UAE – Oman – Bahrain.
- Fifth classification: China – Kyrgyzstan – Palestine.
- Sixth classification: North Korea – Indonesia – Kuwait.
