2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification
Updated: 5/24/2026, 7:08:32 PM Wikipedia source
The 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification is the qualification process organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to determine the participating teams for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, the 19th edition of the international men's football championship of Asia. The qualification process involves a total of four rounds, where the first two rounds double as the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification for Asian teams, with the final two solely for 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification.
Infobox
Dates
12 October 2023 – 4 June 2026
Teams
46 (from 1 confederation)
Matches played
204
Goals scored
610 (2 per match)
Attendance
2,975,729 (14,587 per match)
Top scorer
Nasser Al-Gahwashi (12 goals)
Tables
From the July 2023 FIFA World Rankings · Entrants
Pot 1
Pot 1
Bye to second round
Pot 1
Bye to second round
Pot 2
Bye to second round
Pot 3
Competing in first round
Pot 1
Competing in first round
Pot 2
Japan (20)
Iran (22)
Australia (27)
South Korea (28)
Saudi Arabia (54)
Qatar (59)
Iraq (70)
United Arab Emirates (72)
Oman (73)
Japan (20)
Iran (22)
Australia (27)
South Korea (28)
Saudi Arabia (54)
Qatar (59)
Iraq (70)
United Arab Emirates (72)
Oman (73)
Bye to second round
Japan (20)
Iran (22)
Australia (27)
South Korea (28)
Saudi Arabia (54)
Qatar (59)
Iraq (70)
United Arab Emirates (72)
Oman (73)
Bye to second round
Uzbekistan (74)
China (80)
Jordan (82)
Bahrain (86)
Syria (94)
Vietnam (95)
Palestine (96)
Kyrgyzstan (97)
India (99)
Bye to second round
Lebanon (100)
Tajikistan (110)
Thailand (113)
North Korea (115)
Philippines (135)
Malaysia (136)
Kuwait (137)
Turkmenistan (138)
Competing in first round
Hong Kong (149)
Indonesia (150)
Chinese Taipei (153)
Maldives (155)
Yemen (156)
Afghanistan (157)
Singapore (158)
Myanmar (160)
Nepal (175)
Cambodia (176)
Competing in first round
Macau (182)
Mongolia (183)
Bhutan (185)
Laos (187)
Bangladesh (189)
Brunei (190)
Timor-Leste (192)
Pakistan (201)
Guam (203)
Sri Lanka (204)
| Bye to second round | Competing in first round | |||
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 1 | Pot 2 |
| Japan (20) Iran (22) Australia (27) South Korea (28) Saudi Arabia (54) Qatar (59) Iraq (70) United Arab Emirates (72) Oman (73) | Uzbekistan (74) China (80) Jordan (82) Bahrain (86) Syria (94) Vietnam (95) Palestine (96) Kyrgyzstan (97) India (99) | Lebanon (100) Tajikistan (110) Thailand (113) North Korea (115) Philippines (135) Malaysia (136) Kuwait (137) Turkmenistan (138) | Hong Kong (149) Indonesia (150) Chinese Taipei (153) Maldives (155) Yemen (156) Afghanistan (157) Singapore (158) Myanmar (160) Nepal (175) Cambodia (176) | Macau (182) Mongolia (183) Bhutan (185) Laos (187) Bangladesh (189) Brunei (190) Timor-Leste (192) Pakistan (201) Guam (203) Sri Lanka (204) |
First round
First round
Round
First round
Matchday
First leg
Date(s)
12 October 2023
Second leg
Second leg
Round
Second leg
Matchday
17 October 2023
Second round
Second round
Round
Second round
Matchday
Matchday 1
Date(s)
16 November 2023
Matchday 2
Matchday 2
Round
Matchday 2
Matchday
21 November 2023
Matchday 3
Matchday 3
Round
Matchday 3
Matchday
21 March 2024
Matchday 4
Matchday 4
Round
Matchday 4
Matchday
26 March 2024
Matchday 5
Matchday 5
Round
Matchday 5
Matchday
6 June 2024
Matchday 6
Matchday 6
Round
Matchday 6
Matchday
11 June 2024
| Round | Matchday | Date(s) |
| First round | First leg | 12 October 2023 |
| Second leg | 17 October 2023 | |
| Second round | Matchday 1 | 16 November 2023 |
| Matchday 2 | 21 November 2023 | |
| Matchday 3 | 21 March 2024 | |
| Matchday 4 | 26 March 2024 | |
| Matchday 5 | 6 June 2024 | |
| Matchday 6 | 11 June 2024 |
Play-off round
Play-off round
Round
Play-off round
Matchday
First leg
Date
5–6 September 2024
Second leg
Second leg
Round
Second leg
Matchday
10 September 2024
Third round
Third round
Round
Third round
Matchday
Matchday 1
Date
25 March 2025
Matchday 2
Matchday 2
Round
Matchday 2
Matchday
10 June 2025
Matchday 3
Matchday 3
Round
Matchday 3
Matchday
9 October 2025
Matchday 4
Matchday 4
Round
Matchday 4
Matchday
14 October 2025
Matchday 5
Matchday 5
Round
Matchday 5
Matchday
18 November 2025
Matchday 6
Matchday 6
Round
Matchday 6
Matchday
31 March 2026
| Round | Matchday | Date |
| Play-off round | First leg | 5–6 September 2024 |
| Second leg | 10 September 2024 | |
| Third round | Matchday 1 | 25 March 2025 |
| Matchday 2 | 10 June 2025 | |
| Matchday 3 | 9 October 2025 | |
| Matchday 4 | 14 October 2025 | |
| Matchday 5 | 18 November 2025 | |
| Matchday 6 | 31 March 2026 |
· First round › Summary
Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Team 1
Afghanistan
Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score
2–0
Team 2
Mongolia
1st leg
1–0
2nd leg
1–0
Maldives
Maldives
Team 1
Maldives
Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score
2–3
Team 2
Bangladesh
1st leg
1–1
2nd leg
1–2
Singapore
Singapore
Team 1
Singapore
Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score
3–1
Team 2
Guam
1st leg
2–1
2nd leg
1–0
Yemen
Yemen
Team 1
Yemen
Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score
4–1
Team 2
Sri Lanka
1st leg
3–0
2nd leg
1–1
Myanmar
Myanmar
Team 1
Myanmar
Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score
5–1
Team 2
Macau
1st leg
5–1
2nd leg
0–0
Cambodia
Cambodia
Team 1
Cambodia
Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score
0–1
Team 2
Pakistan
1st leg
0–0
2nd leg
0–1
Chinese Taipei
Chinese Taipei
Team 1
Chinese Taipei
Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score
7–0
Team 2
Timor-Leste
1st leg
4–0
2nd leg
3–0
Indonesia
Indonesia
Team 1
Indonesia
Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score
12–0
Team 2
Brunei
1st leg
6–0
2nd leg
6–0
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Team 1
Hong Kong
Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score
4–2
Team 2
Bhutan
1st leg
4–0
2nd leg
0–2
Nepal
Nepal
Team 1
Nepal
Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score
2–1
Team 2
Laos
1st leg
1–1
2nd leg
1–0
| Team 1 | Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Afghanistan | 2–0 | Mongolia | 1–0 | 1–0 |
| Maldives | 2–3 | Bangladesh | 1–1 | 1–2 |
| Singapore | 3–1 | Guam | 2–1 | 1–0 |
| Yemen | 4–1 | Sri Lanka | 3–0 | 1–1 |
| Myanmar | 5–1 | Macau | 5–1 | 0–0 |
| Cambodia | 0–1 | Pakistan | 0–0 | 0–1 |
| Chinese Taipei | 7–0 | Timor-Leste | 4–0 | 3–0 |
| Indonesia | 12–0 | Brunei | 6–0 | 6–0 |
| Hong Kong | 4–2 | Bhutan | 4–0 | 0–2 |
| Nepal | 2–1 | Laos | 1–1 | 1–0 |
· First round › Ranking of best losing teams
1
1
Pos
1
Team
Bhutan
Pld
2
W
1
D
0
L
1
GF
2
GA
4
GD
−2
Pts
3
Qualification
Asian Cup qualifying third round
2
2
Pos
2
Team
Maldives
Pld
2
W
0
D
1
L
1
GF
2
GA
3
GD
−1
Pts
1
3
3
Pos
3
Team
Laos
Pld
2
W
0
D
1
L
1
GF
1
GA
2
GD
−1
Pts
1
4
4
Pos
4
Team
Cambodia
Pld
2
W
0
D
1
L
1
GF
0
GA
1
GD
−1
Pts
1
Qualification
Asian Cup qualifying play-off round
5
5
Pos
5
Team
Sri Lanka
Pld
2
W
0
D
1
L
1
GF
1
GA
4
GD
−3
Pts
1
6
6
Pos
6
Team
Macau
Pld
2
W
0
D
1
L
1
GF
1
GA
5
GD
−4
Pts
1
7
7
Pos
7
Team
Guam
Pld
2
W
0
D
0
L
2
GF
1
GA
3
GD
−2
Pts
0
Qualification
Withdrew from play-off round
8
8
Pos
8
Team
Mongolia
Pld
2
W
0
D
0
L
2
GF
0
GA
2
GD
−2
Pts
0
Qualification
Asian Cup qualifying play-off round
9
9
Pos
9
Team
Timor-Leste
Pld
2
W
0
D
0
L
2
GF
0
GA
7
GD
−7
Pts
0
10
10
Pos
10
Team
Brunei
Pld
2
W
0
D
0
L
2
GF
0
GA
12
GD
−12
Pts
0
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Bhutan | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 3 | Asian Cup qualifying third round |
| 2 | Maldives | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 1 | |
| 3 | Laos | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 1 | |
| 4 | Cambodia | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 1 | Asian Cup qualifying play-off round |
| 5 | Sri Lanka | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 1 | |
| 6 | Macau | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 1 | |
| 7 | Guam | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 0 | Withdrew from play-off round |
| 8 | Mongolia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 0 | Asian Cup qualifying play-off round |
| 9 | Timor-Leste | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | −7 | 0 | |
| 10 | Brunei | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | −12 | 0 |
References
- Japan were awarded a 3–0 victory by forfeit, after North Korea refused to host the match citing concerns about a disease
- Head-to-head points: China 4, Thailand 1.
- Saudi Arabia already qualified for the Asian Cup as the host nation and only competed to qualify for the World Cup.
- On 26 September 2025, FIFA sanctioned the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and seven players for using falsified e
- Saudi Arabia participated to reach the World Cup.
- Originally this was announced to be 10 teams (9 worst ranked losing teams from the first round + Northern Mariana Island
- On 26 September 2025, FIFA sanctioned the Football Association of Malaysia and seven players for using falsified eligibi
- As South Vietnam
- "AFC Competitions Committee approves key decisions on reformatted competitions"https://www.the-afc.com/en/more/afc_competitions/news/afc_competitions_committee_approves_key_decisions_on_reformatted_competitions_1.html
- "Six teams to contest Qualifiers Playoff for Saudi Arabia 2027"https://www.the-afc.com/en/national/afc_asian_cup/news/six_teams_to_contest_qualifiers_playoff_for_saudi_arabia_2027.html
- "Stage set for FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers draw"https://www.the-afc.com/en/national/fifa_world_cup/news/stage_set_for_fifa_world_cup_2026_and_afc_asian_cup_saudi_arabia_2027%E2%84%A2_qualifiers_draw.html
- ProSportshttps://propakistani.pk/2023/06/23/pakistans-draws-for-fifa-world-cup-2026-asian-qualifiers-revealed/
- "FIFA Men's Ranking – July 2023"https://inside.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/men?dateId=id14079
- "AFC Competitions Calendar (Aug 2023 - Jul 2024)"https://assets.the-afc.com/downloads/calendars/AFC-Competitions-Calendar-(Aug-2023-Jul-2024).pdf
- "AFC Competitions Calendar (Aug 2024 - Jul 2025)"https://assets.the-afc.com/downloads/calendars/AFC-Competitions-Calendar-(Aug-2024-Jul-2025).pdf
- "AFC Competitions Calendar (Aug 2025 - Jul 2026)"https://assets.the-afc.com/downloads/calendars/AFC-Competitions-Calendar-(Aug-2025-Jul-2026).pdf
- the-AFChttps://assets.the-afc.com/downloads/tournament-regulations/15_May_2025_update/(Update)-AFC-Asian-Cup-Saudi-Arabia-2027-Competition-Regulations_nofax.pdf
- FIFAhttps://inside.fifa.com/legal/judicial-bodies/news/fifa-sanctions-football-association-of-malaysia-and-seven-players
- Court of Arbitration for Sporthttps://www.tas-cas.org/generated/assets/lists/dceab111-07bc-435f-b5f9-de88eff9db72/CAS%20Media%20Release_11990.pdf
- Football Association of Malaysiahttps://fam.org.my/news/siaran-media-fam-menerima-keputusan-mahkamah-timbang-tara-sukan-cas