Road to 2026: Six nations, two spots as Asia’s World Cup playoffs begin

UAE among hopefuls chasing final World Cup slots through high-stakes AFC playoff stage

Last updated: July 17, 2025 | 16:27

2 MIN READ

UAE players celebrate the goal during the AFC World Cup qualifiers against Kyrgyzstan. The 1-1 draw left UAE in third place and a place in the playoffs.

Dubai: With just two tickets left to next year’s Fifa World Cup from Asia, the playoff stage promises high drama as six nations prepare to fight for a dream that’s slipping out of reach for most.

For the UAE, it’s a chance to return to the world stage for only the second time in their history. The UAE, who made their lone appearance at the Fifa World Cup in 1990, were drawn into Group A of the AFC Asian Qualifiers — Road to 26 Playoffs during Thursday’s official ceremony at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur.

Group A, hosted by Qatar, also includes Oman. Matches will be played in a single round-robin format from October 8 to 14, with only the top team earning direct qualification to the Fifa World Cup 2026.

Group B, hosted by Saudi Arabia, features the home side alongside Iraq and Indonesia.

The second-placed teams from both groups will meet in a two-legged playoff on November 13 and 18. The winners of that tie will head to the Fifa Playoff Tournament, offering one last chance to book a spot at the Finals.

A draw also determined the host of the two-legged playoff, with the Group A runner-up set to host the first leg.

Teams already qualified

Six Asian nations have already confirmed their places for the expanded 48-team tournament to be held across the United States, Canada and Mexico:

Australia, Japan, Jordan, Korea Republic, Iran and Uzbekistan.

Playoff Groups:

Group A: Qatar (H), UAE, Oman.

Group B: Saudi Arabia (H), Iraq, Indonesia.

Playoff contenders at a glance:

UAE: Finished third in Group A of the third qualifying round. The 1990 participants are aiming for a long-awaited return to the global stage.
Qatar: Having made their debut as hosts in 2022, Qatar are now trying to qualify on merit after finishing fourth in Group A.
Oman: Still chasing their first-ever World Cup appearance, Oman ended fourth in Group B.
Saudi Arabia: Bidding for their third consecutive and seventh overall appearance, the Saudis slipped to third in Group C and must now survive the playoff gauntlet.
Iraq: Their only World Cup appearance came in 1986. Iraq reached the playoffs after finishing third in Group B.
Indonesia: Their sole FIFA World Cup outing was in 1938 (as the Dutch East Indies). Indonesia finished fourth in Group C to make the playoffs.

A.K.S. SatishSports Editor

From playing on the pitch to analysing it from the press box, Satish has spent over three decades living and breathing sport. A cricketer-turned-journalist, he has covered three Cricket World Cups, the 2025 Champions Trophy, countless IPL seasons, F1 races, horse racing classics, and tennis in Dubai. Cricket is his home ground, but he sees himself as an all-rounder - breaking stories, building pages, going live on podcasts, and interviewing legends across every corner of the sporting world. Satish started on the back pages, and earned his way to the front, now leading the sports team at Gulf News, where he has spent 25 years navigating the fast-evolving game of journalism. Whether it’s a Super-Over thriller or a behind-the-scenes story, he aims to bring insight, energy, and a fan’s heart to every piece. Because like sport, journalism is about showing up, learning every day, and giving it everything.