Which teams have qualified for FIFA World Cup 2026 third round qualifiers from Asia?
Qatar’s Nabil Irfan in action with India’s Jay Gupta. | Photo Credit: Reuters
The final round of qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup and the Asian Cup concluded on Tuesday, determining several spots for the third round and automatic qualification for the upcoming Asian Cup.
India faced Qatar away and needed a win to advance to the third round for the first time in their history. However, despite taking the lead through Lallianzuala Chhangte, Qatar equalized with a highly controversial goal.
Youssef Ayman put the ball in the net for the hosts. The Indian players believed the ball had gone out of play after Gurpreet saved a header from Ayman and it went out of bounds. But the referee’s whistle did not blow, and Qatari defender Al-Hassan pulled the ball back in and passed it to Ayman, who scored from close range.
The Indian players completely stopped playing as the ball was clearly out of play. Despite the Indian players’ protests, the match officials awarded the goal to Qatar. The group leaders then snatched the winning goal through Al-Rawi’s strike from the edge of the penalty area.
Group A
Qatar
Kuwait
Group B
Japan
North Korea
Group C
South Korea
China
Group D
Oman
Kyrgyzstan
Group E
Iran
Uzbekistan
Group F
Iraq
Indonesia
Group G
Saudi Arabia
Jordan
Group H
United Arab Emirates
Bahrain
Group I
Australia
Palestine
