Qatar is the sixth best in Asia and the Middle East per FIFA world ranking.
The draw has been made for the men’s FIFA World Cup 2026 and 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, with Qatar being placed in Group A.
Competing against India, Kuwait, and either Afghanistan or Mongolia, Qatar will have its golden opportunity to qualify for the World tournaments.
With the 2026 edition of the World Cup expanding to a 48-team affair, the AFC will have eight direct qualification spots, four more than in the 2022 World Cup, and a playoff slot.
This is the third time that the first two rounds of qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup will also serve as the qualifiers for the AFC Asian Cup.Â
After the qualifiers, the top two teams from each group will make it to the next round, while the rest will advance to the third round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualification.
Qatar is ranked 59th in the FIFA Rankings, above India’s 99th position and Kuwait’s 137th place.
Afghanistan is ranked 157th, and Mongolia at 183rd.Â
Round 2 draw
Group A: Qatar, India, Kuwait, Afghanistan or Mongolia
Group B: Japan, Syria, DPR Korea, Myanmar or Macau
Group C: Korea Republic, China PR, Thailand,Singapore or Guam
Group D: Oman, Kyrgyz Republic, Malaysia, Chinese Taipei or Timor-Leste
Group E: IR Iran, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Hong Kong or China or Bhutan
Group F: Iraq, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia or Brunei Darussalam
Group G: Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Tajikistan, Cambodia or Pakistan
Group H: UAE, Bahrain, Yemen or Sri Lanka, Nepal or Laos
Group I: Australia, Palestine, Lebanon, Maldives or Bangladesh
