Asia’s World Cup 2026 Quest: The Complete Guide to Format, Schedule, and TV Channels
8 October 2025
Football fans around the world are taking a short break from club seasons to focus on national teams as Asia maps its route to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The AFC qualifiers for 2026 are organized in four rounds with a total of 46 teams. Round 1 involves the lowest ranked 20 teams in a home and away knockout, producing 10 qualifiers who move on to Round 2. Round 2 features these 10 teams joining the 26 higher ranked teams in FIFA’s ladder, forming nine groups where the top two from each group advance to Round 3 and secure a place in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. Round 3 splits the 18 advancing teams into three groups, with the top two from each group earning direct World Cup berths. Round 4 invites the teams finishing third and fourth in Round 3 to form two playoff groups; the winners secure World Cup spots while the runners-up push to a global playoff.
The article also outlines the schedule windows for each round, giving fans a clear view of when key games will be played and which nations currently sit atop their groups. While the format sounds like a mouthful, think of it as a marathon with several sprint segments, and yes, the referee will still insist on VAR having the last say in the drama.
Beyond the format, the piece covers where fans can watch the games. BeIN Sports holds rights for the third round, while other matches are broadcast through channels such as Kooora, with online streaming options via TOD TV. For followers of the action, this is the playbook to plan who to root for and when to tune in.
In terms of group dynamics, the article provides snapshots of group leaders and notable challengers, with Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Iran, and South Korea among the familiar heavyweights that often shape the race. The road remains open for surprises from nations pushing to claim a direct ticket or to force a dramatic playoff run.
Upcoming matches are laid out in the report’s timetable, giving fans a handy guide to the next big dates. As always, the beauty of football is in the unpredictable turns that can redefine a group’s fate in an instant. Now enjoy the ride, and may the best teams bounce their way toward the World Cup stage.
Punchline time, because even the best formations need a punchline: If patience were a player, Asia would have won the World Cup by now. And if Wi Fi were a goalkeeper, it would have saved every buffering moment in 4K, because apparently even broadcasts have to deal with red cards for lag. Sniper note two: the only thing sharper than a striker’s finish is this article trying to keep up with a calendar that looks longer than a football pitch at low tide.
