The “Asian” adopts the new system for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers

Today, Sunday, the Asian Football Confederation approved the new system for the World Cup qualifiers, after expanding the 2026 World Cup to include 48 teams.

The 18 teams will be divided into three groups, so that each group includes 6 teams, competing in a split league system of two rounds, and the first two teams from each group (total of 6 teams) qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup.

As for the Asian Supplement, it is scheduled to include the teams that ranked third and fourth in the three groups of the previous round (a total of 6 teams) and is divided into two groups, so that each group includes 3 teams competing in the split league system from one stage. The two teams that finish first in each group qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup.