How will pots be allocated for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Round 3 Qualifiers draw?

India will be among the teams competing for a place in the Asian tournament.

The AFC Asian Cup 2027 will be held in Saudi Arabia. A total of 24 teams will be contesting for the title, out of which 18 teams have already qualified. 

Australia, Iraq, Iran, Uzbekistan, UAE, Japan, South Korea, Oman, Palestine, Bahrain, Jordan, China, Indonesia, North Korea, Kuwait, and Kyrgyzstan have qualified for the tournament alongside the defending champions Qatar and the hosts Saudi Arabia. 

With six spots yet to be filled, we will now be heading to the third round of AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers. The Indian football team will be among the teams competing for a chance to secure their third consecutive qualification for the continental tournament. 

How will the third qualification round of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 be held?

24 nations will be contesting for the remaining six continental spots. The teams will be divided into six groups of four teams each with only the group winners qualifying to the AFC Asian Cup 2027. The remaining three teams in each group will be eliminated. 

ALSO READ: Which pot will India occupy in AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers Round 3 draw?

Who are the teams playing in the third qualification round of the AFC Asian Cup 2027?

• Three best-ranked losing teams from the first round of FIFA World Cup 2026 – AFC qualification will be playing. These teams are Bhutan, Laos, and Maldives
• Three teams from the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualification playoff round have made the cut. These teams are Brunei, East Timor, and Sri Lanka
• 18 eliminated teams from the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup’s AFC Qualifiers will be playing. These teams are India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Chinese Taipei, Hongkong, Lebanon, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Yemen, and Vietnam.

Seeding process and pot allotment for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers

The 24 nations will be divided into four pots of six teams each. The six best-ranked nations will be in pot 1. Similarly, the teams ranked between seventh and twelfth will be in pot 2, and so on. 

All seedings will be based on the countries’ last updated FIFA World Rankings as of December 2024. The draw is set to be held at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 9th December 2024. 

Which pot is India expected to be in?

The Indian football team is expected to take their place in Pot 1 for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers. This is based on the rankings as the Blue Tigers are currently ranked 126th in the FIFA Rankings. 

India are currently the sixth-best-ranked team in the third-round qualifiers behind Syria (92), Thailand (100), Tajikistan (103), Lebanon (114), and Vietnam (116). Hence, they are likely to get a spot in Pot 1. 

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