| Tourney Name: | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC third round |
| Num Teams: | 18 |
| Confederations: | 1 |
| Top Scorer: | Yazan Al-Naimat Almoez Ali (5 goals each) |
| Prevseason: | 2022 |
| Nextseason: | 2030 |
| Updated: | 19 November 2024 |
The third round of AFC matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification is played from 5 September 2024 to 10 June 2025.[1]
The eighteen teams that advanced from the second round (nine group winners and nine group runners-up) were divided into three groups of six teams. The teams will play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The top two teams of each group will qualify directly for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the third and fourth-placed teams will advance to the fourth round.[2]
From the teams that advance to the fourth round, the two teams with the best results in this round also receive the right to host the fourth round groups.[3]
The following teams finished first or second in their respective second round groups:[4]
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 (shown in parentheses below).[5]
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.[6]
The competition schedule is expected to be as follows:[7]
| 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 |
------------------------------------
------------------------------------