2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC third round
The third round of AFC matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification was played from 5 September 2024 to 10 June 2025.
Format
The 18 teams that advanced from the second round were divided into three groups of six teams. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The top two teams of each group qualified directly for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the third and fourth-placed teams advanced to the fourth round.Qualified teams
The following teams finished first or second in their respective second round groups:Draw
The draw for the third round was held on 27 June 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.The seeding for the draw was based on the FIFA Men's World Rankings on 20 June 2024.
Each group contained one team from each of the six pots. The draw started with Pot 6 and concluded with Pot 1, with each team drawn being placed in the corresponding position sequentially in Group A, then B, then C.
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 |
| Pot 4 | Pot 5 | Pot 6 |
Note: Bold indicates team qualified for the World Cup. Italics indicates the team advanced to the fourth round.
Schedule
The competition schedule was as follows:| Matchday | Date |
| Matchday 1 | 5 September 2024 |
| Matchday 2 | 10 September 2024 |
| Matchday 3 | 10 October 2024 |
| Matchday 4 | 15 October 2024 |
| Matchday 5 | 14–15 November 2024 |
| Matchday 6 | 19 November 2024 |
| Matchday 7 | 20 March 2025 |
| Matchday 8 | 25 March 2025 |
| Matchday 9 | 5 June 2025 |
| Matchday 10 | 10 June 2025 |
Group A
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Group B
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Group C
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Discipline
A player was automatically suspended for the next match for the following infractions:- Receiving a red card
- Receiving two yellow cards in two different matches
| Team | Player | Infraction | Suspended for match |
| Craig Goodwin | vs Indonesia vs Japan | vs Saudi Arabia | |
| Kusini Yengi | vs Bahrain | vs Indonesia vs China | |
| Waleed Al Hayam | vs China | vs Australia | |
| Abdulla Al-Khulasi | vs Australia vs Saudi Arabia | vs China | |
| Amine Benaddi | vs Saudi Arabia vs Japan | vs Indonesia | |
| Ali Madan | vs Saudi Arabia vs Indonesia | vs Saudi Arabia | |
| Behram Abduweli | vs Saudi Arabia vs Bahrain | vs Japan | |
| Lin Liangming | vs Bahrain vs Saudi Arabia | vs Australia vs Indonesia | |
| Wang Shangyuan | vs Australia vs Saudi Arabia | vs Australia | |
| Wei Shihao | vs Japan vs Indonesia | vs Bahrain | |
| Xie Wenneng | vs Saudi Arabia vs Indonesia | vs Bahrain | |
| Xie Wenneng | vs Japan vs Australia | vs Indonesia | |
| Marselino Ferdinan | vs Bahrain vs Bahrain | vs China | |
| Justin Hubner | vs Vietnam vs Philippines | vs Saudi Arabia | |
| Justin Hubner | vs Australia vs Saudi Arabia | vs Australia | |
| Ivar Jenner | vs Bahrain vs China | vs Japan | |
| Ivar Jenner | vs Saudi Arabia vs China | vs Japan | |
| Ragnar Oratmangoen | vs Bahrain vs Saudi Arabia | vs Australia | |
| Maarten Paes | vs Saudi Arabia vs Bahrain | vs China | |
| Saman Ghoddos | vs United Arab Emirates vs Uzbekistan | vs Qatar | |
| Saleh Hardani | vs Uzbekistan | vs Qatar vs North Korea | |
| Shojae Khalilzadeh | vs North Korea | vs Kyrgyzstan | |
| Milad Mohammadi | vs United Arab Emirates vs Qatar | vs North Korea | |
| Mohammad Mohebi | vs Qatar vs United Arab Emirates | vs Uzbekistan | |
| Ali Al-Hamadi | vs South Korea | vs Jordan | |
| Amjad Attwan | vs Jordan vs Oman | vs Kuwait | |
| Merchas Doski | vs Oman vs Kuwait | vs Palestine | |
| Aymen Hussein | vs Oman vs Palestine | vs South Korea | |
| Mustafa Saadoon | vs South Korea vs Jordan | vs Oman | |
| Rebin Sulaka | vs Kuwait | vs Palestine | |
| Mahmoud Al-Mardi | vs Palestine vs South Korea | vs Oman | |
| Nizar Al-Rashdan | vs South Korea vs South Korea | vs Oman | |
| Ahmed Al-Dhefiri | vs Jordan vs Palestine | vs South Korea | |
| Muath Al-Enezi | vs Oman vs South Korea | vs Jordan | |
| Sultan Al-Enezi | vs Iraq vs Oman | vs Palestine | |
| Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli | vs Iraq | vs Oman vs Palestine vs South Korea | |
| Sami Al-Sanea | vs Oman vs South Korea | vs Jordan | |
| Yousef Nasser | vs Palestine vs Iraq | vs Oman | |
| Odilzhon Abdurakhmanov | vs Qatar vs Uzbekistan | vs Qatar | |
| Said Datsiev | vs Uzbekistan | vs Qatar | |
| Ermek Kenzhebayev | vs North Korea vs Iran | vs Uzbekistan | |
| Alimardon Shukurov | vs Iran vs Qatar | vs North Korea | |
| Jang Kuk-chol | vs Qatar | vs United Arab Emirates | |
| Jong Hwi-nam | vs Qatar vs United Arab Emirates | vs Kyrgyzstan | |
| Kim Kuk-jin | vs Qatar vs United Arab Emirates | vs Kyrgyzstan | |
| Kim Pom-hyok | vs Qatar vs United Arab Emirates | vs Kyrgyzstan | |
| Ri Il-song | vs Qatar vs Kyrgyzstan | vs Iran | |
| Ri Jo-guk | vs Iran vs Qatar | vs United Arab Emirates | |
| Arshad Al-Alawi | vs Iraq | vs South Korea | |
| Ali Al-Busaidi | vs South Korea vs Jordan | vs Palestine | |
| Muhsen Al-Ghassani | vs South Korea vs Kuwait | vs Jordan | |
| Amjad Al-Harthi | vs South Korea vs Jordan | vs Palestine | |
| Harib Al-Saadi | vs South Korea vs Iraq | vs South Korea | |
| Hamed Hamdan | vs Jordan vs Iraq | vs Kuwait | |
| Oday Kharoub | vs South Korea vs South Korea | vs Jordan | |
| Ameed Mahajna | vs Iraq vs South Korea | vs Jordan | |
| Camilo Saldaña | vs South Korea vs Kuwait | vs Oman | |
| Tamer Seyam | vs South Korea vs Kuwait | vs Oman | |
| Michel Termanini | vs Jordan vs Iraq | vs Kuwait | |
| Almoez Ali | vs Kyrgyzstan vs United Arab Emirates | vs North Korea | |
| Ahmed Al-Rawi | vs Afghanistan vs India | vs United Arab Emirates | |
| Ahmed Fathy | vs Uzbekistan vs Iran | vs Uzbekistan | |
| Lucas Mendes | vs Kyrgyzstan | vs Iran vs Uzbekistan | |
| Tarek Salman | vs United Arab Emirates vs North Korea | vs Kyrgyzstan | |
| Saud Abdulhamid | vs China vs Japan | vs Bahrain | |
| Nasser Al-Dawsari | vs Tajikistan vs Jordan | vs Indonesia | |
| Mohamed Kanno | vs Indonesia vs China | vs Japan vs Bahrain vs Australia | |
| Moon Seon-min | vs Iraq vs Iraq | vs Kuwait | |
| Park Yong-woo | vs Iraq vs Iraq | vs Kuwait | |
| Kouame Autonne | vs Qatar vs North Korea | vs Uzbekistan | |
| Abdulla Hamad | vs Uzbekistan | vs Kyrgyzstan vs Qatar | |
| Marcus Meloni | vs North Korea vs Qatar | vs Iran | |
| Majid Rashid | vs Yemen vs Bahrain | vs Qatar | |
| Majid Rashid | vs Kyrgyzstan vs Qatar | vs Iran | |
| Rustam Ashurmatov | vs Kyrgyzstan vs Iran | vs United Arab Emirates | |
| Umar Eshmurodov | vs North Korea | vs Kyrgyzstan | |
| Jaloliddin Masharipov | vs Qatar vs Kyrgyzstan | vs Iran |