AFC Asian Cup
It will be the final chance for teams hoping to be part of the action at Saudi Arabia 2027.
The-AFC.com tells you all that you need to know about the draw.
Time
The draw will take place on Monday, 15:00 (UTC+8) at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Groups
The 24 teams will be divided into six groups of four.
What is stake?
Six spots in the Finals, with only the group winners to advance.
The full cast
The six group winners will join the 18 teams who qualified for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 after the second round of qualifying.
How they got there
Brunei Darussalam, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste qualified after playoff victories against Macau, Cambodia and Mongolia respectively.
Bhutan, Maldives and Laos qualified as the three best-ranked losing teams Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 while the remaining 18 sides finished third and fourth in the second round of qualifying.
The Pots (based on FIFA Ranking as of November 28)
Pot 1: Syria (ranked 95th), Thailand (97), Tajikistan (104), Lebanon (112), Vietnam (116), India (127)
Pot 2: Malaysia (132), Turkmenistan (143), Philippines (149), Afghanistan (155), Hong Kong, China (156), Yemen (158)
Pot 3: Singapore (161), Maldives (162), Chinese Taipei (165), Myanmar (167), Nepal (175), Bhutan (182)
Pot 4: Brunei Darussalam (184), Bangladesh (185), Laos (186), Timor-Leste (196), Pakistan (198), Sri Lanka (200)
Format
The teams will play on a home and away basis
Matchdays
2025 - March 25, June 10, October 9, October 14, November 18; 2026: March 31
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