Japan to meet N.Korea, S.Korea face China in Asian World Cup 2026 qualifying Draw, Asian Qualifiers team groups confirmed

As the Top Forty-Eight (48) Asian teams will now climbing into the Round One and Round 2 draw highlights of the Asian Qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup (USA, Mexico, Canada) conducted in the Malaysian capital, Kala Lumpur.

- Japan were drawn to face North Korea and Syria in Asia's preliminaries for the 2026 World Cup on Thursday, while South Korea will face China and Thailand when the second round of the continent's qualifiers kick off in November.

The Japanese will also take on the winners of a playoff between Myanmar and Macau, to be held over two legs format, while Korea's group is completed by either Singapore or Guam.

Australia, who reached the knockout rounds at the 2022 World Cup before losing to eventual champions Argentina, will feature in Group I alongside Palestine, Lebanon and either the Maldives or Bangladesh.

Reigning Asian Cup holders Qatar, who hosted the 2022 World Cup, will face India, Kuwait and either Afghanistan or Mongolia in Group A while in Group E six-time World Cup qualifiers Iran face Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Hong Kong or Bhutan.

FIFA World Cup 2026: Asian Qualifiers Draw Groups, Top Seeds, Full List of Teams,

Group A: Qatar, India, Kuwait, Afghanistan or Mongolia winner

Group B: Japan, Syria, North Korea, Myanmar or Macau winner

Group C: South Korea, China, Thailand, Singapore or Guam winner

Group D: Oman, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Taiwan or Timor Leste winner

Group E: Iran, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Hong Kong or Bhutan winner

Group F: Iraq, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia or Brunei winner

Group G: Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Tajikistan, Cambodia or Pakistan winner

Group H: United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Yemen or Sri Lanka, Nepal or Laos winner

Group I: Australia, Palestine, Lebanon, Maldives or Bangladesh winner

FIFA World Cup 2026: Asian Qualifiers Schedule Dates.

Asian World Cup qualifying, First Round (to be played Oct. 12 and 17)

Second Round (matches to be played from November 2023 to June 2024)

What is the Format for Asian Qualifiers at FIFA World Cup 2026, How it works.

FIFA's decision to increase the size of the 2026 World Cup to 48 nations for (USA, Mexico, Canada) means Asia has been granted eight guaranteed berths plus a possible ninth spot at the finals available through a series of intercontinental playoffs.

The second round of qualifiers will have 36 teams, divided into nine groups of four teams each. The matches will be played in a home and away-format.

Teams finishing in the top two positions in the nine groups drawn in Kuala Lumpur will advance to the third preliminary round, where three groups of six teams will compete for the World Cup spots.

While the rest will advance to the third round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualification.