Qatar and Saudi to be the Host Member for AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to 26 Playoffs

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation and the Qatar Football Association will be the Host Member Associations for the forthcoming AFC Asian Qualifiers—Road to 26 Playoffs, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has confirmed.

Six countries—the third and fourth-place teams from the AFC Asian Qualifiers—will be split into two groups of three teams, according to an official statement from the AFC. These teams are Indonesia, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The two group winners will earn the remaining automatic spots at the FIFA World Cup 2026. These teams will play in a centralized format from October 8–14, 2025.

Following that, on November 13 and 18, 2025, the runners-up from each group will compete in a two-leg AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to 26 Playoffs Knockout Stage, with the victor moving on to the FIFA Play-off Tournament. The date of the formal draw is set for July 17, 2025.