FIFA World Cup 2026 & AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers: How the groups stand currently?

India played a goalless draw against Afghanistan in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

Football fans worldwide are currently witnessing an intense race as countries strive to advance to the third round of qualifications for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and secure berths at the AFC Asian Cup 2027. As the competition unfolds, the standings in various groups start to take shape, showcasing both thrilling victories and unexpected challenges.

Qatar has emerged as a dominant force in Group A, securing impressive victories over India and Afghanistan as well as Kuwait. The Qatari team, known as Al-Annabi, displayed their attacking prowess with a convincing 3-0 victory against Blue Tigers, building on their earlier triumph of 8-1 against Afghanistan. They thrashed Kuwait by 3-0 in their third match of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers yesterday. With a perfect start, Qatar looks poised to maintain its momentum as they gears up to face their next challenge.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan and India are locked in a battle for qualification, aiming to secure their spots in the prestigious tournaments. India was held by Afghanistan in a 0-0 draw in their first match in Saudi Arabia. India will host Afghanistan in their reverse fixture on 26 March.

In Group B, Japan has taken an early lead with three consecutive wins. However, North Korea and Syria are not far behind, with Korea three points in the third spot. Syria came up to the second position after a draw against Myanmar. Myanmar, despite facing initial setbacks, remains determined to turn the tide in their favor as they seek redemption in the matches to come.

Group C perceives the South Korean Republic as leading the pack with an impressive seven points, closely followed by Thailand and China PR, both with four points to their name. Singapore, on the other hand, was would be very happy as they managed to pull out a draw against China PR which earned them a point.

Malaysia’s winning streak was broken as they were defeated by Oman in a Group D clash. While came back and grabbed a victory which earned them a top spot in the table. Chinese Taipei’s bad run continues as they lost their third consecutive match in the group and stayed at the bottom of the table with 0 points.

Consequently in Group E, Iran grabbed a fascinating victory against Turkmenistan in a five-goal thriller and Uzbekistan got better of Hong Kong. Iran and Uzbekistan both share 7 points and are placed first and second respectively.

Group F features Iraq at the top with nine points following victories over Vietnam Indonesia and the Philippines. Indonesia sits in second place, while the Philippines aim for their first wins after collecting just a point from their previous three encounters. Vietnam remains in the third spot after the loss against Indonesia.

Asian giants Saudi Arabia leads Group G with nine points as they defeated Tajikistan. Tajikistan aims to influence its strength from the previous tournament, while Pakistan seeks improvement after three defeats. Jordan grabbed an impressive victory against Pakistan putting them third on the league table.

Finally in Groups H and I, the United Arab Emirates have recorded three wins, putting themselves strongly in their respective groups. Bahrain and Yemen trail by three and six points in Group H respectively, while Nepal struggles with three defeats.

Australia has seen success with three wins in Group J, competing alongside Palestine, who earned three points against Bangladesh and improved their goal difference by scoring five. Lebonan and Bangladesh are third and fourth in the group with two and one points respectively.

With each match bringing new twists and turns, football fans can expect more exhilarating action as teams vie for coveted spots in the next rounds of qualifications.

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