The President
Jordan and Uzbekistan created history on Matchday 9 by sealing their first-ever spots at the global showpiece with the Korea Republic also sealing an unprecedented 11th consecutive FIFA World Cup appearance, whilst Australia booked their tickets on the final matchday after defeating Saudi Arabia 2-1 at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah.
Earlier in the qualifiers, Japan achieved the distinction of being the first non-host nation worldwide to qualify on March 20, 2025, with the Islamic Republic of Iran following suit five days later.
Shaikh Salman said: “On behalf of the Asian football family, I would like to put on record our heartfelt congratulations to Australia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan and Korea Republic for securing their places at the FIFA World Cup 2026, and special praise must be reserved for Jordan and Uzbekistan on their monumental achievement.
“We must also applaud all our Participating Member Associations for their commitment to uplift the standards of the game across the Continent, and the fiercely competitive matches we witnessed during the critical stages of the qualifiers clearly demonstrate the narrowing gap amongst all our teams.
“Asia created history in Qatar 2022 when a record three teams – Australia, Japan and Korea Republic – advanced to the Knockout Stage, and I know I speak for all on the Continent in reiterating that it is our collective desire to build on this strong momentum and produce more breakthrough moments in 2026.
“We wish all our qualified teams the very best with their preparations, and we want to assure them that the AFC is committed to their success. We also wish our six participating Member Associations the very best of luck as they strive to secure the remaining spots on the global stage.”
After a gruelling yet exhilarating campaign that began with 46 Member Associations in October 2023 as Myanmar hosted Macau in Yangon, the qualifiers are now down to the closing and decisive stages.
Six teams – Indonesia, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – will continue their quest to claim the remaining two direct berths in the AFC Asian Qualifiers™ – Road to 26 Playoffs, which will be competed in a centralised format with the hosts for the two groups to be decided and communicated in due course.
The two second-placed teams will then face off to determine the Continent’s representative for the FIFA Play-Off Tournament, where one last slot will be on offer.
