List of teams directly qualified for AFC Asian Cup 2027 third round

The competition for the final six slots for the AFC Asian Cup is going to be intense.

With the conclusion of the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2027 AFC Asian Cup joint qualifiers, the picture of the final round of the qualifiers for the latter remains clear.

The final round of the qualifiers for the upcoming tournament in Saudi Arabia is set to feature 24 teams, which will comprise three best-ranked losing teams from the first round, 18 third and fourth-placed teams from the second round and three winners from the play-off round.

Indian men’s football team is one of the participating nations in the third and final round of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. The Blue Tigers are one of the favorites to secure a place in the main round of the continental showpiece after securing the berth during the 2023 edition. 

However, the competition for the last remaining six teams will be intense. The 24 participating teams will be divided into six groups of four teams to play home-and-away matches with only the group winner heading to the group stage of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia. On that note, here is the list of the teams that have made it into the third round of the qualifiers:

First Round Best Ranked Losing Teams

Bhutan

Maldives

Laos

Second Round Third and Fourth Placed Teams

Group A:	India (Third)	Afghanistan (Fourth)
Group B:	Syria (Third)	Myanmar (Fourth)
Group C:	Thailand (Third)	Singapore (Fourth)
Group D:	Malaysia (Third)	Chinese Taipei (Fourth)
Group E:	Turkmenistan (Third)	Hong Kong (Fourth)
Group F:	Vietnam (Third)	Philippines (Fourth)
Group G:	Tajikistan (Third)	Pakistan (Fourth)
Group H:	Yemen (Third)	Nepal (Fourth)
Group I:	Lebanon (Third)	Bangladesh (Fourth)

Playoff Winners

Three teams from the following six will advance as playoff winners for the third round of 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers:

Sri Lanka vs Cambodia

East Timor vs Mongolia

Brunei vs Macau

As aforementioned, the 24 teams will be divided into six groups where the top team from each group will advance into the main stage of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia. The matches will take place from 25 March 2025 to 31 March 2026.

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