When will FIFA World Cup 2026 Round 3 Qualifiers start?

The draw for the FIFA World Cup third round will take place later in June 2024.

The second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers from the AFC region recently concluded. There was an intense fight between the participating Asian nations for the berths in the third round of the qualifiers. 

Reaching the final stage takes a lot of consistent effort and quality. It is a major achievement for any nation. While teams like Japan, Australia, Iran, etc, were expected to reach the third round, some surprising countries like North Korea, Palestine and Kuwait also secured a berth, taking them one step closer to the main stage of the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Indian football team failed to reach the third round after getting agonizingly close as their fate was decided on the final matchday, finishing third in their group behind Qatar and Kuwait.

That led to Igor Stimac’s eventual dismissal as the head coach of the Indian football team. With the Indian dream of reaching the World Cup ending, the focus shifts towards the next round of the qualifiers which promises to be extremely exciting.

Here is a look at when the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers of the AFC regions will start.

2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers AFC region third round

The draw for the third round of the AFC region’s 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers will take place on 27 June 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The matches are set to take place from 5 September 2024 to 10 June 2025.

There are 18 teams in the third round of the qualifiers divided into three groups of six teams each. The top two teams of each group will qualify directly for the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage. Moreover, the third and fourth-placed teams will advance into the fourth round of the qualifiers.

There will be 10 matchdays in the third round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Matchday 1 is set to start on 5 September 2024 while the last Matchday concludes on 10 June 2025.

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