2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification – third round

Last updated
2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification – third round
Tournament details
Dates25 March 2025 – 31 March 2026
Teams24 (from 1 confederation)
Tournament statistics
Matches played24
Goals scored56 (2.33 per match)
Attendance274,517 (11,438 per match)
Top scorer(s) Flag of the Philippines.svg Bjørn Martin Kristensen
(3 goals)
← 2023
2031 →
All statistics correct as of 10 June 2025.

The third round [note 1] of 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification is played from 25 March 2025 to 31 March 2026. [1]

Contents

Format

A total of 24 teams (3 best ranked losing teams from the first round + 18 third and fourth-placed teams from the second round + 3 winners from the play-off round) will participate in the third round to compete for the final six slots in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. [2]

The 24 teams will be divided into six groups of four teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. Only the group winners of each group will qualify for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, where they will join the 18 teams which qualified directly from the second round. [3]

Qualified teams

Best-ranked losing teams from the first round:

Teams finishing third or fourth in their respective second round groups:

Play-off round winners:

Seeding

The draw was held on 9 December 2024 at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, [8] at 15:00 (UTC+8). The teams were drawn into six groups of four teams each, with the seeding based on the November 2024 FIFA World Rankings.

FIFA Rankings as of 28 November 2024 [9]
Pot 1Pot 2Pot 3Pot 4
  1. Flag of Syria (2025-).svg  Syria (95)
  2. Flag of Thailand.svg  Thailand (97)
  3. Flag of Tajikistan.svg  Tajikistan (104)
  4. Flag of Lebanon.svg  Lebanon (112)
  5. Flag of Vietnam.svg  Vietnam (116)
  6. Flag of India.svg  India (127)
  1. Flag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia (132)
  2. Flag of Turkmenistan.svg  Turkmenistan (143)
  3. Flag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines (149)
  4. Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  Afghanistan (155)
  5. Flag of Hong Kong.svg  Hong Kong (156)
  6. Flag of Yemen.svg  Yemen (158)
  1. Flag of Singapore.svg  Singapore (161)
  2. Flag of Maldives.svg  Maldives (162)
  3. Flag of Chinese Taipei (Olympics; 1986-2010).svg  Chinese Taipei (165)
  4. Flag of Myanmar.svg  Myanmar (167)
  5. Flag of Nepal.svg    Nepal (175)
  6. Flag of Bhutan.svg  Bhutan (182)
  1. Flag of Brunei.svg  Brunei (184)
  2. Flag of Bangladesh.svg  Bangladesh (185)
  3. Flag of Laos.svg  Laos (186)
  4. Flag of East Timor.svg  Timor-Leste (196)
  5. Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan (198)
  6. Flag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka (200)

Schedule

The schedule of each matchday is as follows. [10] [11]

MatchdayDates
Matchday 125 March 2025
Matchday 210 June 2025
Matchday 39 October 2025
Matchday 414 October 2025
Matchday 518 November 2025
Matchday 631 March 2026

Rules

The winner of each group will qualify for the final tournament, joining the 18 teams that qualified directly (including the host).

Tiebreakers

The teams are ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers will be applied in the following order (Regulations Article 7.3): [12]

  1. Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  2. Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  3. Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  4. If more than two teams are tied, and after applying criteria 1 to 3, a subset of teams is still tied, criteria 1 to 3 are reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
  5. Goal difference in all group matches;
  6. Goals scored in all group matches;
  7. Penalty shoot-out if only two teams are tied and they meet in the last round of the group;
  8. Disciplinary points (yellow card = 1 point, red card as a result of two yellow cards = 3 points, direct red card = 3 points, yellow card followed by direct red card = 4 points);
  9. Drawing of lots.

Group A

PosTeam
PldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification Flag of the Philippines.svg Flag of Tajikistan.svg Flag of East Timor.svg Flag of Maldives.svg
1Flag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines 211063+34 2027 AFC Asian Cup 2–2 14 Oct 4–1
2Flag of Tajikistan.svg  Tajikistan 211032+14 31 Mar 1–0 9 Oct
3Flag of East Timor.svg  Timor-Leste 21011103 9 Oct 18 Nov 1–0
4Flag of Maldives.svg  Maldives 200215−40 18 Nov 14 Oct 31 Mar
Updated to match(es) played on 10 June 2025. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Tajikistan  Flag of Tajikistan.svg1–0Flag of East Timor.svg  Timor-Leste
Hanonov Soccerball shade.svg3' Report
Report (AFC)
Republic Central Stadium , Dushanbe
Attendance: 8,520
Referee: Seyedvahid Kazemi (Iran)
Philippines  Flag of the Philippines.svg4–1Flag of Maldives.svg  Maldives
Report
Report (AFC)
New Clark City Stadium , Capas
Attendance: 3,334
Referee: Daniel Elder (Australia)
Timor-Leste  Flag of East Timor.svg1–0Flag of Maldives.svg  Maldives
Report
Report (AFC)
Territory Rugby League Stadium , Darwin (Australia) [note 3]
Attendance: 1,048
Referee: Songkran Bunmeekiart (Thailand)
Philippines  Flag of the Philippines.svg2–2Flag of Tajikistan.svg  Tajikistan
Report
Report (AFC)
New Clark City Stadium , Capas
Attendance: 10,854
Referee: Hasan Akrami (Iran)
Timor-Leste  Flag of East Timor.svgvFlag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines
Territory Rugby League Stadium , Darwin (Australia) [note 3]
Tajikistan  Flag of Tajikistan.svgvFlag of Maldives.svg  Maldives
20 Years of Independence Stadium , Khujand
Philippines  Flag of the Philippines.svgvFlag of East Timor.svg  Timor-Leste
New Clark City Stadium , Capas
Maldives  Flag of Maldives.svgvFlag of Tajikistan.svg  Tajikistan
National Football Stadium , Malé
Timor-Leste  Flag of East Timor.svgvFlag of Tajikistan.svg  Tajikistan
TBD [note 3]
Maldives  Flag of Maldives.svgvFlag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines
National Football Stadium , Malé
Tajikistan  Flag of Tajikistan.svgvFlag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines
Pamir Stadium , Dushanbe
Maldives  Flag of Maldives.svgvFlag of East Timor.svg  Timor-Leste
National Football Stadium , Malé

Group B

PosTeam
PldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification Flag of Lebanon.svg Flag of Brunei.svg Flag of Yemen.svg Flag of Bhutan.svg
1Flag of Lebanon.svg  Lebanon 211050+54 2027 AFC Asian Cup 5–0 31 Mar 9 Oct
2Flag of Brunei.svg  Brunei 210126−43 18 Nov 9 Oct 2–1
3Flag of Yemen.svg  Yemen 20200002 0–0 14 Oct 18 Nov
4Flag of Bhutan.svg  Bhutan 201112−11 14 Oct 31 Mar 0–0
Updated to match(es) played on 10 June 2025. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Bhutan  Flag of Bhutan.svg0–0Flag of Yemen.svg  Yemen
Report
Report (AFC)
Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu
Attendance: 4,700
Referee: Thoriq Alkatiri (Indonesia)
Lebanon  Flag of Lebanon.svg5–0Flag of Brunei.svg  Brunei
Report
Report (AFC)
Saoud bin Abdulrahman Stadium, Al-Wakrah (Qatar) [note 4]
Attendance: 282
Referee: Venikatesh Ramachandran (India)
Brunei  Flag of Brunei.svg2–1Flag of Bhutan.svg  Bhutan
Report
Report (AFC)
Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium, Bandar Seri Begawan
Attendance: 3,158
Referee: Mongkolchai Pechsri (Thailand)
Yemen  Flag of Yemen.svg0–0Flag of Lebanon.svg  Lebanon
Report
Report (AFC)
Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Stadium, Sulaibikhat (Kuwait) [note 5]
Attendance: 1,512
Referee: Salim Al-Majarafi (Oman)
Brunei  Flag of Brunei.svgvFlag of Yemen.svg  Yemen
Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium, Bandar Seri Begawan
Lebanon  Flag of Lebanon.svgvFlag of Bhutan.svg  Bhutan
Grand Hamad Stadium, Doha (Qatar) [note 4]
Yemen  Flag of Yemen.svgvFlag of Brunei.svg  Brunei
Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Stadium, Sulaibikhat (Kuwait) [note 5]
Bhutan  Flag of Bhutan.svgvFlag of Lebanon.svg  Lebanon
Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu
Brunei  Flag of Brunei.svgvFlag of Lebanon.svg  Lebanon
Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium, Bandar Seri Begawan
Yemen  Flag of Yemen.svgvFlag of Bhutan.svg  Bhutan
[note 5]
Lebanon  Flag of Lebanon.svgvFlag of Yemen.svg  Yemen
[note 4]
Bhutan  Flag of Bhutan.svgvFlag of Brunei.svg  Brunei
Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu

Group C

PosTeam
PldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification Flag of Singapore.svg Flag of Hong Kong.svg Flag of Bangladesh.svg Flag of India.svg
1Flag of Singapore.svg  Singapore 211021+14 2027 AFC Asian Cup 0–0 31 Mar 9 Oct
2Flag of Hong Kong.svg  Hong Kong 211010+14 18 Nov 14 Oct 1–0
3Flag of Bangladesh.svg  Bangladesh 201112−11 1–2 9 Oct 18 Nov
4Flag of India.svg  India 201101−11 14 Oct 31 Mar 0–0
Updated to match(es) played on 10 June 2025. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Singapore  Flag of Singapore.svg0–0Flag of Hong Kong.svg  Hong Kong
Report
Report (AFC)
National Stadium, Kallang
Attendance: 8,064
Referee: Chae Sang-hyeop (South Korea)
India  Flag of India.svg0–0Flag of Bangladesh.svg  Bangladesh
Report
Report (AFC)
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Shillong
Attendance: 14,952
Referee: Hussein Abo Yehia (Lebanon)
Hong Kong  Flag of Hong Kong.svg1–0Flag of India.svg  India
Report
Report (AFC)
Kai Tak Stadium, Kowloon
Attendance: 42,570
Referee: Ahmad Alaeddin (Lebanon)
Bangladesh  Flag of Bangladesh.svg1–2Flag of Singapore.svg  Singapore
Report
Report (AFC)
National Stadium, Dhaka
Attendance: 21,317
Referee: Clifford Daypuyat (Philippines)
Singapore  Flag of Singapore.svgvFlag of India.svg  India
National Stadium, Kallang
Bangladesh  Flag of Bangladesh.svgvFlag of Hong Kong.svg  Hong Kong
National Stadium, Dhaka
Hong Kong  Flag of Hong Kong.svgvFlag of Bangladesh.svg  Bangladesh
Kai Tak Stadium, Kowloon
India  Flag of India.svgvFlag of Singapore.svg  Singapore
Bangladesh  Flag of Bangladesh.svgvFlag of India.svg  India
National Stadium, Dhaka
Hong Kong  Flag of Hong Kong.svgvFlag of Singapore.svg  Singapore
Kai Tak Stadium, Kowloon (TBC)
India  Flag of India.svgvFlag of Hong Kong.svg  Hong Kong
Singapore  Flag of Singapore.svgvFlag of Bangladesh.svg  Bangladesh

Group D

PosTeam
PldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification Flag of Turkmenistan.svg Flag of Thailand.svg Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Flag of Chinese Taipei (Olympics; 1986-2010).svg
1Flag of Turkmenistan.svg  Turkmenistan 220052+36 2027 AFC Asian Cup 3–1 14 Oct 18 Nov
2Flag of Thailand.svg  Thailand 210123−13 31 Mar 1–0 9 Oct
3Flag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka 210132+13 9 Oct 18 Nov 3–1
4Flag of Chinese Taipei (Olympics; 1986-2010).svg  Chinese Taipei 200225−30 1–2 14 Oct 31 Mar
Updated to match(es) played on 10 June 2025. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Chinese Taipei  Flag of Chinese Taipei (Olympics; 1986-2010).svg1–2Flag of Turkmenistan.svg  Turkmenistan
Report
Report (AFC)
National Stadium, Kaohsiung
Attendance: 1,897
Referee: Abdulhadi Al-Ruaile (Qatar)
Thailand  Flag of Thailand.svg1–0Flag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka
Report
Report (AFC)
Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok
Attendance: 17,207
Referee: Zhang Lei (China)
Sri Lanka  Flag of Sri Lanka.svg3–1Flag of Chinese Taipei (Olympics; 1986-2010).svg  Chinese Taipei
Report
Report (AFC)
Colombo Racecourse, Colombo
Attendance: 3,710
Referee: Daniel Elder (Australia)
Turkmenistan  Flag of Turkmenistan.svg3–1Flag of Thailand.svg  Thailand
Report
Report (AFC)
Ashgabat Stadium, Ashgabat
Attendance: 15,545
Referee: Ismaeel Habib Ali (Bahrain)
Sri Lanka  Flag of Sri Lanka.svgvFlag of Turkmenistan.svg  Turkmenistan
Colombo Racecourse, Colombo
Thailand  Flag of Thailand.svgvFlag of Chinese Taipei (Olympics; 1986-2010).svg  Chinese Taipei
Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok
Turkmenistan  Flag of Turkmenistan.svgvFlag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka
Ashgabat Stadium, Ashgabat
Chinese Taipei  Flag of Chinese Taipei (Olympics; 1986-2010).svgvFlag of Thailand.svg  Thailand
Taipei Municipal Stadium, Taipei
Sri Lanka  Flag of Sri Lanka.svgvFlag of Thailand.svg  Thailand
Colombo Racecourse, Colombo
Turkmenistan  Flag of Turkmenistan.svgvFlag of Chinese Taipei (Olympics; 1986-2010).svg  Chinese Taipei
Ashgabat Stadium, Ashgabat
Thailand  Flag of Thailand.svgvFlag of Turkmenistan.svg  Turkmenistan
Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok
Chinese Taipei  Flag of Chinese Taipei (Olympics; 1986-2010).svgvFlag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka
Taipei Municipal Stadium, Taipei

Group E

PosTeam
PldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification Flag of Syria (2025-).svg Flag of Myanmar.svg Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg Flag of Pakistan.svg
1Flag of Syria (2025-).svg  Syria 220030+36 2027 AFC Asian Cup 9 Oct 31 Mar 2–0
2Flag of Myanmar.svg  Myanmar 220031+26 14 Oct 2–1 1–0
3Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  Afghanistan 200213−20 0–1 18 Nov 14 Oct
4Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan 200203−30 18 Nov 31 Mar 9 Oct
Updated to match(es) played on 10 June 2025. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Myanmar  Flag of Myanmar.svg2–1Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  Afghanistan
Report
Report (AFC) 		Popalzay Soccerball shade.svg14'
Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon
Attendance: 6,500
Referee: Yahya Al-Balushi (Oman)
Syria  Flag of Syria (2025-).svg2–0Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan
Report
Report (AFC)
Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium, Hofuf (Saudi Arabia) [note 6]
Attendance: 1,217
Referee: Sivakorn Pu-Udom (Thailand)
Myanmar  Flag of Myanmar.svg1–0Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan
Report
Report (AFC)
Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon
Attendance: 22,000
Referee: Zhang Lei (China)
Afghanistan  Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg0–1Flag of Syria (2025-).svg  Syria
Report
Report (AFC)
Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium, Hofuf (Saudi Arabia) [note 7]
Attendance: 532
Referee: Yousif Saeed Hasan (Iraq)
Pakistan  Flag of Pakistan.svgvFlag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  Afghanistan
Jinnah Sports Stadium, Islamabad
Syria  Flag of Syria (2025-).svgvFlag of Myanmar.svg  Myanmar
Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium, Hofuf (Saudi Arabia) [note 6]
Afghanistan  Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svgvFlag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan
[note 7]
Myanmar  Flag of Myanmar.svgvFlag of Syria (2025-).svg  Syria
Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon
Pakistan  Flag of Pakistan.svgvFlag of Syria (2025-).svg  Syria
Jinnah Sports Stadium, Islamabad
Afghanistan  Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svgvFlag of Myanmar.svg  Myanmar
[note 7]
Syria  Flag of Syria (2025-).svgvFlag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  Afghanistan
[note 6]
Pakistan  Flag of Pakistan.svgvFlag of Myanmar.svg  Myanmar
Jinnah Sports Stadium, Islamabad

Group F

PosTeam
PldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification Flag of Malaysia.svg Flag of Vietnam.svg Flag of Laos.svg Flag of Nepal.svg
1Flag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia 220060+66 2027 AFC Asian Cup 4–0 14 Oct 2–0
2Flag of Vietnam.svg  Vietnam 210154+13 31 Mar 5–0 9 Oct
3Flag of Laos.svg  Laos 210126−43 9 Oct 18 Nov 2–1
4Flag of Nepal.svg    Nepal 200214−30 18 Nov 14 Oct 31 Mar
Updated to match(es) played on 10 June 2025. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Vietnam  Flag of Vietnam.svg5–0Flag of Laos.svg  Laos
Report
Report (AFC)
Gò Đậu Stadium, Bình Dương [note 8]
Attendance: 11,068
Referee: Yahya Al-Mulla (United Arab Emirates)
Malaysia  Flag of Malaysia.svg2–0Flag of Nepal.svg    Nepal
Report
Report (AFC)
Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Iskandar Puteri
Attendance: 7,895
Referee: Hiroki Kasahara (Japan)
Laos  Flag of Laos.svg2–1Flag of Nepal.svg    Nepal
Report
Report (AFC)
New Laos National Stadium, Vientiane
Attendance: 5,123
Referee: Nivon Robesh (Sri Lanka)
Malaysia  Flag of Malaysia.svg4–0Flag of Vietnam.svg  Vietnam
Report
Report (AFC)
Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur
Attendance: 61,512
Referee: Hussein Abo Yehia (Lebanon)
Laos  Flag of Laos.svgvFlag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia
Report
New Laos National Stadium, Vientiane
Vietnam  Flag of Vietnam.svgvFlag of Nepal.svg    Nepal
Report
Gò Đậu Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City [note 8]
Malaysia  Flag of Malaysia.svgvFlag of Laos.svg  Laos
Report
Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur
Nepal    Flag of Nepal.svgvFlag of Vietnam.svg  Vietnam
Report
Dasharath Rangasala, Kathmandu
Laos  Flag of Laos.svgvFlag of Vietnam.svg  Vietnam
Report
New Laos National Stadium, Vientiane
Nepal    Flag of Nepal.svgvFlag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia
Report
Dasharath Rangasala, Kathmandu
Vietnam  Flag of Vietnam.svgvFlag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia
Report
Nepal    Flag of Nepal.svgvFlag of Laos.svg  Laos
Report
Dasharath Rangasala, Kathmandu

Goalscorers

There have been 56 goals scored in 24 matches, for an average of 2.33 goals per match (as of 10 June 2025).

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

1 own goal

Notes

  1. ↑ Referred as the final round
  2. ↑ FIFA suspended Pakistan from all football activities on 6 February 2025 due to failing to adopt a version of the PFF constitution that had been approved by FIFA and AFC. [4] [5] The PFF voted to approve the constitutional changes on 27 February 2025, and the suspension was lifted on 2 March 2025. [6] [7]
  3. 1 2 3 Timor-Leste will play their home games outside the country, due to a lack of an available venue that meet FIFA standards. [13] [14]
  4. 1 2 3 Lebanon were required to play all their home matches at a neutral venue due to the ongoing Israel–Hezbollah conflict.
  5. 1 2 3 Yemen will be required to play their home matches at a neutral venue due to the ongoing Yemeni civil war.
  6. 1 2 3 Syria played their home matches at a neutral venue due to the ongoing Syrian civil war.
  7. 1 2 3 Afghanistan played their home matches at a neutral venue due to the ongoing Afghan conflict.
  8. 1 2 Bình Dương was incorporated to Ho Chi Minh City in 1 July 2025.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "AFC Competitions Committee approves key decisions on reformatted competitions". the-AFC.com. AFC. 1 July 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  2. ↑ "Asia's pathway to the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup™ 2027 confirmed". the-AFC. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
  3. ↑ "AFC Competitions Committee approves key decisions on reformatted competitions". AFC. 1 July 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  4. ↑ "FIFA suspends the Congolese Football Association and the Pakistan Football Federation". FIFA. 6 February 2025.
  5. ↑ Lakhani, Faizan. "Pakistan ruled out of AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers due to Fifa suspension". thenews.com.pk. The News International. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  6. ↑ "Pakistan soccer approves steps wanted by FIFA to lift international suspension". Associated Press. 27 February 2025. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
  7. ↑ Grafström, Mattias. "Lifting of the suspension of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF)" (PDF). digitalhub.fifa.com. FIFA. Retrieved 2 March 2025.
  8. ↑ "Asian Football Calendar (December 2024 – November 2025)". The AFC. Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  9. ↑ "FIFA Men's World Ranking – November 2024". fifa.com. FIFA. 28 November 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  10. ↑ "AFC Competitions Calendar (Jul 2024 - Jun 2025)" (PDF). AFC.
  11. ↑ "AFC Competitions Calendar (Jul 2025 - Jun 2026)" (PDF). AFC.
  12. ↑ "AFC Asian Cup 2027 Saudi Arabia Competition Regulations" (PDF). AFC. 9 August 2024. p. 25.
  13. ↑ "Darwin hosts high-stakes international soccer match for the first time". ABC News. 17 June 2025. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  14. ↑ "Football Federation of Timor-Leste President discusses new stadium with Gianni Infantino". Inside FIFA. FIFA. 21 June 2025. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.