More than half a year has passed since the Qatar World Cup ended, and the global soccer world is entering a new round of World Cup campaigns. Given the limited number of international tournaments in a year, qualifying for a new World Cup usually starts the year after the previous one, and the national teams' World Cup campaigns are restarted. AFC officials have announced that the qualifying schedule for the 2026 World Cup in Asia is starting to take shape. Next, we'll take a look.
The 2026 Asian qualifiers will be divided into four rounds. The first round is like an outing, where 18 of the 45 teams are selected to determine the top 9. In the second round, these nine teams will join the other 18 of the 27 teams to form the 36-team field. The national teams make their official debut. In the third round, the top 18 compete directly for six World Cup spots. The final round, similar to the Asian play-offs, will determine 2 direct qualification spots and 0.5 intercontinental play-off spots. For our national team, the Round of 18 is the real arena, comparable to the previous Round of 12.
The draw for the first two rounds is scheduled for July 27, which means that the grouping of the national teams will soon be clear. There are no international matches this month, so the draw will be based on the latest rankings after the June internationals. The first 36 matches are divided into 9 groups of 4 teams each, while the Asian teams are divided into 4 groups. Our national team is currently ranked 11th in the Asian rankings, securing their place in the draw as the second team. According to the ranking of the 9 teams, the national team remains the second more prominent team.
The first round of the tournament is relatively easy, with the 18 teams grouped in pairs for two rounds of matches, with the winners advancing. The two matches, scheduled for Oct. 12 and 17, are expected to allow some of the strongest but under-appreciated teams to turn the tables and get a chance to play with the traditional powerhouses such as Japan and South Korea, which will be their biggest quest. The second round of the first 36 matches will begin on international days in November and run until June next year, with the national team needing to come out on top in the first two rounds to earn a spot in the Top 18, which is no mean feat for the team.
The draw for the final 18 teams will take place in June 2024, when all will be finalized. Specific information on Stage 4 is still to be officially announced, and teams that fail to qualify outright will face a tough challenge in the Stage 4 competition. Based on the current strength of our national team, it would be more realistic to fight for the 2.5 quota for the fourth stage. However, the national team has yet to form a set of fixed starting lineup, and the absence of Zhang Yuning and the failure of Alan and Fernando to make the cut will pose a considerable challenge to the team.
