Saudi Arabia was drawn in Group G of the Asian Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ and AFC Asian Cup 2027™ alongside Jordan, Tajikistan, and the winners of the Round 1 clash between Cambodia and Pakistan.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) held today the draw for the Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2 of the Asian Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Thirty-six national teams were drawn into nine groups of four, competing against each team in home-and-away matches. Round 1 will see each team playing one home and one away match in October, while the Round 2 matches will be held in home-and-away round-robin format, between November 2023 and June 2024.
All nine group winners and the respective runners-up from Round 2 will advance to the third round of World Cup qualifying, and will occupy their places at the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027. The draw for the third round of the 2026 World Cup will be held in 2024, when the 18 teams will be divided into three groups of six -- the top two from each group will qualify directly for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Asian Qualifiers for FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup 2027 Preliminary Round 2 Groups:
Group A: Qatar, India, Kuwait, Afghanistan/Mongolia
Group B: Japan, Syria, North Korea, Myanmar/Macau
Group C: South Korea, China, Thailand, Singapore/Guam
Group D: Oman, Kyrgyz Republic, Malaysia, Chinese Taipei/Timor Leste
Group E: Iran, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Hong Kong/Bhutan
Group F: Iraq, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia/Brunei Darussalam
Group G: Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Tajikistan, Cambodia/Pakistan
Group H: UAE, Bahrain, Yemen/Sri Lanka, Nepal/Laos
Group I: Australia, Palestine, Lebanon, Maldives/Bangladesh
Source: Saudi Press Agency