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Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Sport
Kevin Hand

FOUND: World cup 2026 afc qualifiers teams groups format schedule favourites - You Need To See This

AFC World Cup Al Jazeera South Korea Japan Palestine Qatar Saudi Arabia AFC Cup Football
Akram Afif has been a key player in helping Qatar to back-to-back AFC Cup titles [Robert Cianflone/Getty Images]

The Asian Football Confederation’s third-round qualifying matches for the FIFA World Cup 2026 will begin on Thursday, as 18 teams battle for the eight places up for grabs.

The final stage of qualification will culminate in June 2025, but several teams will be able to cement their spots in the North American edition of the World Cup much earlier.

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