AFC Asian Cup, 2027

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AFC Asian Cup qualification 2027

The qualification procedure for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 final tournament consisted of four rounds.

1st qualifying round and 2nd qualifying round

The first two rounds were also part of the qualification procedure for Asian nations in the FIFA World Cup 2026 finals in USA, Canada and Mexico.

1st qualifying round

  • Played in October 2023.
  • 20 nations competed in ten ties played over two legs.
  • The six winners advanced to the 2nd qualifying round.

2nd qualifying round

  • Played from November 2023 to June 2024.
  • A total of 36 nations were divided into nine groups of five (A to I) played home and away on a round- robin basis.
  • The nine group winners and runners-up plus advanced to the Finals tournament.
  • The third and fourth placed teams advanced to the 3rd qualifying round.

Full details of the 1st and 2nd qualifying rounds

Play-off round

  • Played in September 2024.
  • Six nations competed in three ties played over two legs.
  • The three winners advanced to the 3rd qualifying round.

3rd qualifying round

  • Played from March 2025 to March 2026.
  • Consisted of the 18 nations that third and fourth in the groups in the 2nd qualifying round, the three winners in the Play-off round and the three highest ranked losing teams from the 1st qualifying round.
  • The total of 24 nations were divided into six groups of four (A to F) played home and away on a round- robin basis.
  • The six group winners advanced to the Finals tournament along with the 18 nations who qualified after the 2nd qualifying round.