The AFC has announced that Saudi Arabia and Qatar will host the Asian playoffs for the 2026 World Cup. Six teams — Indonesia, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE — will be split into two groups of three, competing in a centralised format from October 8–14, 2025.
Group winners will earn the last two automatic World Cup spots. Group runners-up will face off on November 13 and 18 for a chance at the inter-confederation playoffs. The matches will be played on neutral ground, as requested by Asian federations. The group stage draw takes place on July 17.
