South Korea, Japan, Australia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar will all be looking to make a statement in the second round of Asian World Cup qualifying, which kicks off on Thursday.
Son Heung-min will join South Korea for its opening game against Singapore in Seoul, while Japan will take on Myanmar in Osaka. Australia will face Bangladesh in Melbourne, and Iran will host Hong Kong in Tehran.
South Korea is aiming to qualify for its 11th consecutive World Cup, while Japan is looking to make it to its ninth straight tournament. Australia reached the knockout stage at the 2022 World Cup, while Iran and Saudi Arabia are both looking to bounce back from disappointing showings in Qatar.
The top two teams from each of the nine four-team groups will progress to the next stage of Asian qualifying, where they’ll compete for one of the eight automatic spots at the World Cup — double the continental quota available in 2022.
Additional Data:
Son Heung-min has scored 12 goals in 15 Premier League appearances for Tottenham this season.
Kaoru Mitoma has scored 5 goals in 10 J1 League appearances for Yokohama F. Marinos this season.
Mehdi Taremi has scored 10 goals in 12 Primeira Liga appearances for FC Porto this season.
Japan is the top-ranked team in Asia, followed by Iran, South Korea, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
The 2026 World Cup will be the first to be held across three countries: the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Additional Insights:
The road to the 2026 World Cup will be more challenging than ever before, with the number of teams competing for a spot at the tournament increasing from 32 to 48.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has expanded the World Cup qualifying format to give more teams a chance to compete.
The AFC has also increased the number of automatic qualifying spots from four to eight.
This means that there will be more competition for the top spots in Asia, and that it will be more difficult for teams to qualify for the World Cup.
