2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification
International football competition
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification is the qualification process organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to determine the participating teams for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, the 19th edition of the international men's football championship of Asia.
Dates12 October 2023 – 4 June 2026
Teams46[note 1] (from 1 confederation)
Matchesplayed205
Goals scored612 (2.99 per match)
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 12 October 2023 – 4 June 2026 |
| Teams | 46[note 1] (from 1 confederation) |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 205 |
| Goals scored | 612 (2.99 per match) |
| Attendance | 2,977,767 (14,526 per match) |
| Top scorer |  Nasser Al-Gahwashi (14 goals) |
← 2023 2031 → | |
The qualification process involves a total of four rounds, where the first two rounds double as the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification for Asian teams, with the final two solely for 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification.
Format
The qualification structure is as follows:[1]
- First round: 20 teams (ranked 27–46) played home-and-away over two legs.
- 10 winners advanced to the second round.
- 3 best ranked losing teams advanced to the third round of Asian Cup qualification.
- 6 worst ranked losing teams advanced to the play-off round of Asian Cup qualification.[note 2]
- Second round: 36 teams (ranked 1–26 and 10 first-round winners) were divided into 9 groups of 4 teams to play home-and-away double round-robin matches.
- The 9 group winners and 9 group runners-up qualified for the Asian Cup along with host Saudi Arabia and advanced to the third round of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
- The remaining 18 teams advanced to the third round of Asian Cup qualification.
- Play-off round: 6 teams (the worst ranked losing teams from the first round) played home-and-away over two legs that determined the final 3 qualifiers for the third round.[2][note 2]
- Third round: 24 teams (3 best ranked losing team from the first round + 18 third and fourth-placed teams from the second round + 3 winners from the play-off round) were divided into 6 groups of 4 teams to play home-and-away double round-robin matches and the winner of each group will occupy the remaining 6 slots for the Asian Cup.
Entrants
Forty-six FIFA-affiliated nations are eligible to enter the joint qualification process for both the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2027 AFC Asian Cup; Northern Mariana Islands, which is not a FIFA member, would have entered through the play-off round.[1] However, it was not included in the draw for the play-off round.[2]
The draw for the first and second rounds of joint qualification took place on 27 July 2023.[3] Teams were seeded into four pots. Pots 1, 2 and 3 contain the teams ranked 1–9, 10-18 and 19-26 respectively, while Pot 4 contains the remaining 20 teams (ranked 27–46). All teams from Pot 4 were drawn to the first round into two pots. Teams from Pots 1, 2 and 3 were drawn directly to the second round, along with an allocated first-round tie winner.[4][3]
| Bye to second round | Competing in first round | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 1 | Pot 2 |
|
|
|
|
|
Schedule
The schedule of the competition is expected to be as follows, according to the AFC Competitions Calendar.[6][7][8] This is the first Asian Cup qualification that starts before the previous final matches would be held, as the 2023 AFC Asian Cup was postponed to early 2024.
|
|
First round
The draw for the first round was held on 27 July 2023 at 14:00 MST (UTC+8) at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[3]
Summary
| Team 1 | Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Afghanistan  | 2–0 |  Mongolia | 1–0 | 1–0 |
Maldives  | 2–3 |  Bangladesh | 1–1 | 1–2 |
Singapore  | 3–1 |  Guam | 2–1 | 1–0 |
| Yemen | 4–1 |  Sri Lanka | 3–0 | 1–1 |
Myanmar  | 5–1 |  Macau | 5–1 | 0–0 |
Cambodia  | 0–1 |  Pakistan | 0–0 | 0–1 |
Chinese Taipei  | 7–0 |  Timor-Leste | 4–0 | 3–0 |
Indonesia  | 12–0 |  Brunei | 6–0 | 6–0 |
Hong Kong  | 4–2 |  Bhutan | 4–0 | 0–2 |
Nepal  | 2–1 |  Laos | 1–1 | 1–0 |
Ranking of best losing teams
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bhutan |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 3 | Asian Cup qualifying third round |
| 2 | Maldives |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 1 | |
| 3 | Laos |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 1 | |
| 4 | Cambodia |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 1 | Asian Cup qualifying play-off round |
| 5 | Sri Lanka |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 1 | |
| 6 | Macau |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 1 | |
| 7 | Guam |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 0 | Withdrew from play-off round |
| 8 | Mongolia |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 0 | Asian Cup qualifying play-off round |
| 9 | Timor-Leste |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | −7 | 0 | |
| 10 | Brunei |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | −12 | 0 |
Source: AFC
Second round
The draw for the second round was held on 27 July 2023 at 16:00 MST (UTC+8) at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[3]
Group A
Group B
- Japan were awarded a 3–0 victory by forfeit, after North Korea refused to host the match citing concerns about a disease spreading in Japan.
Group C
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |  |
 |
 |
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Korea |
6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 1 | +19 | 16 | World Cup qualifying third round and Asian Cup | — | 1–0 | 1–1 | 5–0 | |
| 2 | China |
6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 8[a] | 0–3 | — | 1–1 | 4–1 | ||
| 3 | Thailand |
6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 8[a] | Asian Cup qualifying third round | 0–3 | 1–2 | — | 3–1 | |
| 4 | Singapore |
6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 24 | −19 | 1 | 0–7 | 2–2 | 1–3 | — |
- Head-to-head points: China 4, Thailand 1.
Group D
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |  |
 |
 |
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oman |
6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 2 | +9 | 13 | World Cup qualifying third round and Asian Cup | — | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–0 | |
| 2 | Kyrgyzstan |
6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 11 | 1–0 | — | 1–1 | 5–1 | ||
| 3 | Malaysia |
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 10 | Asian Cup qualifying third round | 0–2 | 4–3 | — | 3–1 | |
| 4 | Chinese Taipei |
6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 17 | −15 | 0 | 0–3 | 0–2 | 0–1 | — |
Group E
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |  |
 |
 |
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iran |
6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 4 | +12 | 14 | World Cup qualifying third round and Asian Cup | — | 0–0 | 5–0 | 4–0 | |
| 2 | Uzbekistan |
6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 4 | +9 | 14 | 2–2 | — | 3–1 | 3–0 | ||
| 3 | Turkmenistan |
6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 14 | −10 | 2 | Asian Cup qualifying third round | 0–1 | 1–3 | — | 0–0 | |
| 4 | Hong Kong |
6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 15 | −11 | 2 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 2–2 | — |
Group F
Group G
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |  |
 |
 |
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jordan |
6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 4 | +12 | 13 | World Cup qualifying third round and Asian Cup | — | 0–2 | 3–0 | 7–0 | |
| 2 | Saudi Arabia[a] |
6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 3 | +9 | 13 | World Cup qualifying third round | 1–2 | — | 1–0 | 4–0 | |
| 3 | Tajikistan |
6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 7 | +4 | 8 | Asian Cup qualifying third round | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 3–0 | |
| 4 | Pakistan |
6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 26 | −25 | 0 | 0–3 | 0–3 | 1–6 | — |
- Saudi Arabia already qualified for the Asian Cup as the host nation and only competed to qualify for the World Cup.
Group H
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |  |
 |
|
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Arab Emirates |
6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 2 | +14 | 16 | World Cup qualifying third round and Asian Cup | — | 1–1 | 2–1 | 4–0 | |
| 2 | Bahrain |
6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 3 | +8 | 11 | 0–2 | — | 0–0 | 3–0 | ||
| 3 | Yemen |
6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 9 | −4 | 5 | Asian Cup qualifying third round | 0–3 | 0–2 | — | 2–2 | |
| 4 | Nepal |
6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 20 | −18 | 1 | 0–4 | 0–5 | 0–2 | — |
Group I
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |  |
 |
 |
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia |
6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | +22 | 18 | World Cup qualifying third round and Asian Cup | — | 5–0 | 2–0 | 7–0 | |
| 2 | Palestine |
6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0–1 | — | 0–0 | 5–0 | ||
| 3 | Lebanon |
6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | −3 | 6 | Asian Cup qualifying third round | 0–5 | 0–0 | — | 4–0 | |
| 4 | Bangladesh |
6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 20 | −19 | 1 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | — |
Play-off round
Third round
Groups
| 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification tiebreakers |
|---|
The teams are ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers will be applied in the following order (Regulations Article 7.3):[9]
|
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | |
 |
|
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tajikistan |
6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 3 | +11 | 14 | 2027 AFC Asian Cup | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | ||
| 2 | Philippines |
6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 6 | +10 | 14 | 2–2 | 4–1 | 3–1 | |||
| 3 | Maldives |
6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 13 | −10 | 3 | 0–3 | 0–2 | 2–1 | |||
| 4 | Timor-Leste |
6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 15 | −11 | 3 | 0–5 | 1–4 | 1–0 |
Group B
Group C
Group D
Group E
Group F
- On 26 September 2025, FIFA sanctioned the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and seven players for using falsified eligibility documents. These players played in the match against Nepal and Vietnam.[10] On 5 March, CAS dismissed FAM's appeal on the falsified documents case.[11][12] On 17 March 2026, the AFC overturned Malaysia's wins against Nepal (on 25 March 2025) and Vietnam (on 10 June 2025) to 0–3 defeats.[13]
Qualified teams
Qualified for Asian Cup
Failed to qualify
Withdrew or excluded
A total of 24 teams will qualify for the final tournament including the host Saudi Arabia.
| Team | Method of qualification |
Date of qualification |
Finals appearances |
Last appearance |
Previous best performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | Hosts | 1 February 2023 | 12th | Winners (1984, 1988, 1996) | |
| Australia | Second round Group I winners | 26 March 2024 | 6th | Winners (2015) | |
 Iraq | Second round Group F winners | 26 March 2024 | 11th | Winners (2007) | |
| Iran | Second round Group E winners | 26 March 2024 | 16th | Winners (1968, 1972, 1976) | |
| Uzbekistan | Second round Group E runners-up | 26 March 2024 | 9th | Fourth place (2011) | |
 Qatar | Second round Group A winners | 26 March 2024 | 12th | Winners (2019, 2023) | |
| United Arab Emirates | Second round Group H winners | 26 March 2024 | 12th | Runners-up (1996) | |
 Japan | Second round Group B winners | 2 April 2024 | 11th | Winners (1992, 2000, 2004, 2011) | |
| South Korea | Second round Group C winners | 6 June 2024 | 16th | Winners (1956, 1960) | |
| Oman | Second round Group D winners | 6 June 2024 | 6th | Round of 16 (2019) | |
| Palestine | Second round Group I runners-up | 6 June 2024 | 4th | Round of 16 (2023) | |
| Bahrain | Second round Group H runners-up | 6 June 2024 | 8th | Fourth place (2004) | |
| Jordan | Second round Group G winners | 6 June 2024 | 6th | Runners-up (2023) | |
| China | Second round Group C runners-up | 11 June 2024 | 14th | Runners-up (1984, 2004) | |
| Indonesia | Second round Group F runners-up | 11 June 2024 | 6th | Round of 16 (2023) | |
 North Korea | Second round Group B runners-up | 11 June 2024 | 6th | Fourth place (1980) | |
 Kuwait | Second round Group A runners-up | 11 June 2024 | 11th | Winners (1980) | |
| Kyrgyzstan | Second round Group D runners-up | 11 June 2024 | 3rd | Round of 16 (2019) | |
 Syria | Third round Group E winners | 14 October 2025 | 8th | Round of 16 (2023) | |
| Singapore | Third round Group C winners | 18 November 2025 | 2nd | Group stage (1984) | |
 Vietnam | Third round Group F winners | 17 March 2026[a] | 6th | Fourth place (1956,[b] 1960[b]) | |
| Thailand | Third round Group D winners | 31 March 2026 | 9th | Third place (1972) | |
| Tajikistan | Third round Group A winners | 31 March 2026 | 2nd | Quarter-finals (2023) | |
| Yemen | Third round Group B winners | 4 June 2026 | 3rd | Group stage (1976,[c] 2019) |
Top goalscorers
There were 612 goals scored in 205 matches, for an average of 2.99 goals per match. Players highlighted in bold are still active in the competition.
14 goals
8 goals
7 goals
6 goals
5 goals
4 goals
The lists below show all goal scorers for each round:
See also
Notes
- Saudi Arabia participated to reach the World Cup.
- Originally this was announced to be 10 teams (9 worst ranked losing teams from the first round + Northern Mariana Islands). However, Guam withdrew and the Northern Mariana Islands were not included in the draw for the play-off round announced on 1 May 2024.
- On 26 September 2025, FIFA sanctioned the Football Association of Malaysia and seven players for using falsified eligibility documents. These players played in the match against Nepal and Vietnam.[14] On 5 March 2026, the CAS uphold the sanctions against Malaysia for which AFC overturned Malaysia wins against Nepal (on 25 March 2025) and Vietnam (on 10 June 2025) were overturned to 0–3 defeats on 17 March 2026.[15] The decision effectively qualified Vietnam and eliminated Malaysia, and this date represents the day that the decision was announced.