Qatar and Saudi Arabia Confirmed as Hosts for AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to 26 Playoffs

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has officially confirmed that Qatar and Saudi Arabia will serve as host nations for the upcoming AFC Asian Qualifiers™ – Road to 26 Playoffs, the decisive stage that will determine the final two direct Asian representatives for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The playoffs, which will be held in a centralised format from October 8 to 14, 2025, will feature six teams—the third and fourth-placed finishers from the second phase of the Asian Qualifiers: Indonesia, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

High Stakes in Two Host Nations

The six sides will be drawn into two groups of three, with each group hosted in either Qatar or Saudi Arabia. The winners of each group will automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup, set to take place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The runners-up from both groups will then progress to a Knockout Stage, to be contested over two legs on November 13 and 18, 2025. The victor of that tie will move on to represent Asia at the FIFA Intercontinental Play-off Tournament, where one final World Cup berth will be up for grabs.

Official Draw Set for July

The official draw for the playoff stage is scheduled to be held on July 17, 2025, where the two groups and their respective match schedules will be finalised.

As anticipation builds for Asia’s final push toward the expanded 48-team World Cup, all eyes will now turn to Doha and Riyadh—two cities well-versed in hosting high-stakes international football.