2022 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifier
The Asian portion of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification serves as a qualifier for national teams that are part of the Asian Football Confederation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Qatar (AFC). Apart from Qatar (who qualified automatically as hosts), the AFC has 4.5 slots in the final tournament (4 direct slots and 1 inter-confederation play-off slot).
Format
The qualification goes as follow:
- First Round: 12 teams (ranked 35-46) played home-and-away over two legs. The six winners will advance to the second round
- Second Round: 40 teams (ranked 1-34 and the six first-round winners) were divided into eight groups of five teams to play home-and-away in a round-robin system. The eight group winners and the four best group runner-ups advance to the third round of FIFA World Cup qualification as well as able to qualify for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup finals. In case Qatar finish as group winners or one of the best four runners-up, the fifth-best runners-up will take their place in the third round.
- Third Round: The two third-placed teams from the third round will play home and away over two legs. The winner will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs
The competing teams
|
Bye to the second round
(Ranked 1st to 34th)
|
Competing in first round
(Ranked 35th to 46th)
|
|
Iran (21)
Japan (26)
South Korea (37)
Australia (41)
Qatar (55)
United Arab Emirates (67)
Saudi Arabia (72)
China PR (74)
Iraq (76)
Syria (83)
Uzbekistan (85)
Lebanon (86)
Oman (86)
Kyrgyzstan (95)
Jordan (97)
Vietnam (98)
Palestine (99)
India (101)
Bahrain (111)
Thailand (114)
Tajikistan (120)
North Korea (121)
Philippines (124)
Chinese Taipei (125)
Turkmenistan (136)
Myanmar (140)
Hong Kong (141)
Yemen (146)
Afghanistan (149)
Maldives (151)
Kuwait (156)
Indonesia (159)
Singapore (160)
Nepal (161)
|
Malaysia (168)
Cambodia (173)
Macau (183)
Laos (184)
Bhutan (186)
Mongolia (187)
Bangladesh (188)
Guam (193)
Brunei (194)
Timor-Leste (195)
Pakistan (200)
Sri Lanka (20
|
Scheduling
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, FIFA and the AFC declared on March 9, 2020, that the second round matches on matchdays 7–10 scheduled for March and June 2020 have been postponed, with new dates to be reported. The matches can, however, be played as planned, subject to FIFA and AFC consent and consensus by all member associations provided that the welfare of all persons concerned meets the appropriate criteria. On the 5th of June, AFC announced that matchdays 7 and 8 will be held on the 8th and 13th of October, respectively, while matchdays 9 and 10 will be held on the 12th and 17th of November. FIFA announced on August 12 that the matches scheduled for October and November 2020 would be moved to 2021.
First round:
|
Team 1
|
Agg
|
Team 2
|
1st leg
|
2nd leg
|
|
Mongolia
|
3-2
|
Brunei
|
2-0
|
1-2
|
|
Macau
|
1-3
|
Sri Lanka
|
1-0
|
0-3
|
|
Laos
|
0-1
|
Bangladesh
|
0-1
|
0-0
|
|
Malaysia
|
12-2
|
Timor-Leste
|
7-1
|
5-1
|
|
Cambodia
|
4-1
|
Pakistan
|
2-0
|
2-1
|
|
Bhutan
|
1-5
|
Guam
|
1-0
|
0-5
|
Second round:
Group A
|
Pos
|
Team
|
Pld
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
GF
|
GA
|
GD
|
Pts
|
Qualification
|
|
1
|
Syria (X)
|
5
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
14
|
4
|
10
|
15
|
Third round and Asian Cup
|
|
2
|
China PR
|
4
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
13
|
2
|
11
|
7
|
Third round and Asian Cup or Asian Cup qualifying third round
|
|
3
|
Philippines
|
5
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
8
|
8
|
0
|
7
|
Asian Cup qualifying third round
|
|
4
|
Maldives
|
5
|
2
|
0
|
3
|
6
|
10
|
−4
|
6
|
Asian Cup qualifying third round or play-off round
|
|
5
|
Guam (Z)
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
5
|
2
|
19
|
−17
|
0
|
Asian Cup qualifying play-off round
|
(X) : Assured of at least Asian Cup qualifying third round; (Z) Eliminated from the World Cup
Group B
|
Pos
|
Team
|
Pld
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
GF
|
GA
|
GD
|
Pts
|
Qualification
|
|
1
|
Australia
|
4
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
16
|
1
|
15
|
12
|
Third round and Asian Cup
|
|
2
|
Kuwait
|
5
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
17
|
3
|
14
|
10
|
Third round and Asian Cup or Asian Cup qualifying third round
|
|
3
|
Jordan
|
5
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
10
|
2
|
8
|
10
|
Asian Cup qualifying third round
|
|
4
|
Nepal (Y)
|
5
|
1
|
0
|
4
|
2
|
16
|
−14
|
3
|
Asian Cup qualifying third round or play-off round
|
|
5
|
Chinese Taipei (Z)
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
5
|
2
|
25
|
−23
|
0
|
Asian Cup qualifying play-off round
|
(Y): Can’t win group, may advance as runner-up; (Z): Eliminated from the World Cup
Group C
|
Pos
|
Team
|
Pld
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
GF
|
GA
|
GD
|
Pts
|
Qualification
|
|
1
|
Iraq
|
5
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
9
|
2
|
7
|
11
|
Third round and Asian Cup
|
|
2
|
Bahrain
|
5
|
2
|
3
|
0
|
3
|
1
|
2
|
9
|
Third round and Asian Cup or Asian Cup qualifying third round
|
|
3
|
Iran
|
4
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
17
|
3
|
14
|
6
|
Asian Cup qualifying third round
|
|
4
|
Hong Kong
|
5
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
5
|
−2
|
5
|
Asian Cup qualifying third round or play-off round
|
|
5
|
Cambodia (Y)
|
5
|
0
|
1
|
4
|
1
|
22
|
−21
|
1
|
Asian Cup qualifying play-off round
|
(Y): Can’t win group, may advance as runner-ups
Group D
|
Pos
|
Team
|
Pld
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
GF
|
GA
|
GD
|
Pts
|
Qualification
|
|
1
|
Saudi Arabia
|
5
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
13
|
4
|
9
|
11
|
Third round and Asian Cup
|
|
2
|
Uzbekistan
|
5
|
3
|
0
|
2
|
12
|
6
|
6
|
9
|
Third round and Asian Cup or Asian cup qualifying third round
|
|
3
|
Singapore
|
5
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
7
|
10
|
−3
|
7
|
Asian Cup qualifying third round
|
|
4
|
Yemen
|
5
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
6
|
11
|
−5
|
5
|
Asian Cup qualifying third round or play-off round
|
|
5
|
Palestine (Y)
|
6
|
1
|
1
|
4
|
3
|
10
|
−7
|
4
|
Asian Cup qualifying play-off round
|
(Y): Can’t win group, may advance as runner-up
Group F
|
Pos
|
Team
|
Pld
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
GF
|
GA
|
GD
|
Pts
|
Qualification
|
|
1
|
Qatar (X)
|
6
|
5
|
1
|
0
|
16
|
1
|
15
|
16
|
Third round and Asian Cup
|
|
2
|
Oman (X)
|
5
|
4
|
0
|
1
|
11
|
4
|
7
|
12
|
Third round and Asian Cup or Asian Cup qualifying third round
|
|
3
|
Afghanistan (Y)
|
5
|
1
|
1
|
3
|
2
|
11
|
−9
|
4
|
Asian Cup qualifying third round
|
|
4
|
India (Y)
|
5
|
0
|
3
|
2
|
3
|
5
|
−2
|
3
|
Asian Cup qualifying third round or play-off round
|
|
5
|
Bangladesh (Z)
|
5
|
0
|
1
|
4
|
2
|
13
|
−11
|
1
|
Asian Cup qualifying play-off round
|
(Y): Can’t win group, may advance as runner-up; (Z): Eliminated from the World Cup; (X): Assured of at least Asian Cup qualifying third round
Group F
|
Pos
|
Team
|
Pld
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
GF
|
GA
|
GD
|
Pts
|
Qualification
|
|
1
|
Japan (X)
|
5
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
27
|
0
|
27
|
15
|
Third round and Asian Cup
|
|
2
|
Tajikistan
|
6
|
3
|
1
|
2
|
9
|
8
|
1
|
10
|
Third round and Asian Cup or Asian Cup qualifying third round
|
|
3
|
Kyrgyzstan
|
5
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
10
|
5
|
5
|
7
|
Asian Cup qualifying third round
|
|
4
|
Myanmar
|
5
|
2
|
0
|
3
|
5
|
13
|
−8
|
6
|
Asian Cup qualifying third round or play-off round
|
|
5
|
Mongolia (Z)
|
7
|
1
|
0
|
6
|
2
|
27
|
−25
|
3
|
Asian Cup qualifying play-off round
|
(X): Assured of at least Asian Cup qualifying third round; (Z): Eliminated from the World Cup
Group G
|
Pos
|
Team
|
Pld
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
GF
|
GA
|
GD
|
Pts
|
Qualification
|
|
1
|
Vietnam
|
5
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
5
|
1
|
4
|
11
|
Third round and Asian Cup
|
|
2
|
Malaysia
|
5
|
3
|
0
|
2
|
8
|
6
|
2
|
9
|
Third round and Asian Cup or Asian Cup qualifying third round
|
|
3
|
Thailand
|
5
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
6
|
3
|
3
|
8
|
Asian Cup qualifying third round
|
|
4
|
United Arab Emirates
|
4
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
8
|
4
|
4
|
6
|
Asian Cup qualifying third round or play-off round
|
|
5
|
Indonesia (Z)
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
5
|
3
|
16
|
−13
|
0
|
Asian Cup qualifying play-off round
|
(Z): Eliminated from the World Cup
Group H
|
Pos
|
Team
|
Pld
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
GF
|
GA
|
GD
|
Pts
|
Qualification
|
|
1
|
Turkmenistan
|
5
|
3
|
0
|
2
|
8
|
5
|
3
|
9
|
Third round and Asian Cup
|
|
2
|
South Korea
|
4
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
10
|
0
|
10
|
8
|
Third round and Asian Cup or Asian Cup qualifying third round
|
|
3
|
Lebanon
|
5
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
5
|
3
|
2
|
8
|
Asian Cup qualifying third round
|
|
4
|
North Korea
|
5
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
4
|
3
|
1
|
8
|
Asian Cup qualifying third round or play-off round
|
|
5
|
Sri Lanka (Z)
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
5
|
0
|
16
|
−16
|
0
|
Asian Cup qualifying play-off round
|
(Z): Eliminated from the World Cup
Sources:
The-AFC.com
FIFA.com
Dawn.com
