After finishing the 3rd qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia, the 6 teams ranked 3rd and 4th in the groups including Indonesia, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and the UAE have won tickets to the 4th qualifying round.
The 4th qualifying round takes place in the form of a concentrated competition from October 8 to 14, 2025. Accordingly, 6 teams are divided into 2 groups, each group has 3 teams. The teams will compete in a round-robin, with the top two teams in each group qualifying for the World Cup. The two second-placed teams will compete again, selecting the winner of the intercontinental play-off.
AFC confirms the Qatar Football Association (QFA) and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) are the host member associations for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, the announcement from the AFC emphasized.
However, the AFC's decision has been criticized for not ensuring neutrality, as the two teams of Saudi Arabia and Qatar will benefit greatly when playing the upcoming qualifying matches at home.
According to representatives of the Iraq Football Federation (IFA) and the Oman Football Federation, the AFC needs to organize the 4th qualifying matches at neutral locations to ensure transparency and balance in the matches.
"Hosting the qualifying round directly at home by any participating team could cause an imbalance in competition," the IFA said.
The UAE Football Federation also agreed with this view, emphasizing that transparency must be the guideline for the AFC's decisions.
"The selection process must comply with regulations and regulations to ensure the rights of all national teams," said the UAE Football Federation.
Meanwhile, a representative of the Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI) said that the 4th qualifying round matches should be held in Korea, Japan, Uzbekistan or Jordan, which would be more suitable. In addition to these countries, Malaysia or Thailand are also potential hosts, in case the AFC changes its decision.
The draw for the 4th qualifying round will take place on July 17.
Previously, after the 3rd qualifying round, Asia identified 6 teams for the World Cup including Iran, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Japan and Australia.
