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Matchday Four of the Preliminary Joint Qualification – Round 2 for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 promises to be an exciting affair with 17 matches scheduled.
The nine group winners and the respective runners-up will advance to the third round of FIFA World Cup qualifying, and at the same time seal their places at the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027.
The other 18 teams from Round 2 will proceed directly to the third and final round of AFC Asian Cup qualifying. The-AFC.com takes a look at how the groups stand ahead of Tuesday’s matches.
Group A
Kuwait will do their best to stop them but Qatar will confirm a top-two finish in Group A with victory at the Sabah Al Salem Stadium.
The two-time AFC Asian Cup winners, however, can expect stiff resistance from a Kuwait side who desperately need three points to stay on track.
Third in the standings, Kuwait are a point adrift of India, who also need a win against Afghanistan after being held to a goalless draw by the Central Asian side on Thursday.
Kuwait v Qatar
Venue: Sabah Al Salem Stadium (Kuwait City)
Kick-off: Tuesday, 22:00 (UTC+3)
India v Afghanistan
Venue: Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium (Guwahati)
Kick-off: Tuesday, 19:00 (UTC+5:30)
Group B
Syria will aim to further strengthen their grip on the Group B second place when they meet Myanmar at the neutral venue of Prince Mohamed Bin Fahd Stadium.
Myanmar got their first point of the campaign after a 1-1 draw with their West Asian opponents on Thursday and having led for a long period, the Southeast Asian side will not be lacking in confidence.
The North Korea-Japan match will not be played with its status to be decided by the relevant Committees in FIFA with further updates to be communicated in due course.
Syria v Myanmar
Venue: Prince Mohamed Bin Fahd Stadium (Dammam)
Kick-off: Tuesday, 22:00 (UTC+3)
Group C
South Korea’s unexpected 1-1 draw with Thailand means there is all to play for in Group C.
Thailand will aim to go one better when they host Son Heung-min and his teammates at the Rajamangala Stadium while China will be desperate for maximum points against Singapore after settling for a 2-2 draw with the Southeast Asian side after having led by two goals on Thursday.
China v Singapore
Venue: Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium (Tianjin)
Kick-off: Tuesday, 20:00 (UTC+8)
Thailand v South Korea
Venue: Rajamangala Stadium (Bangkok)
Kick-off: Tuesday, 19:30 (UTC+7)
Group D
Malaysia kicked off their Matchday Three tie against Oman top of the standings and ended it in third after a 2-0 defeat, meaning victory is a must against their West Asian opponents on Tuesday.
Kyrgyz Republic, meanwhile, will fancy their chances of completing the double against Chinese Taipei, with the Central Asian side seeking a third consecutive appearance in the AFC Asian Cup Finals.
Malaysia v Oman
Venue: Bukit Jalil National Stadium (Kuala Lumpur)
Kick-off: Tuesday, 22:00 (UTC+8)
Kyrgyz Republic v Chinese Taipei
Venue: Dolen Okurzakov Stadium (Bishkek)
Kick-off: Tuesday, 20:00 (UTC+6)
Group E
Victories for Iran and Uzbekistan will confirm their places in the third round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Finals.
Iran, having defeated Turkmenistan 5-0 at the Azadi Stadium on Thursday, will be confident of another victory while Uzbekistan will expect the same against Hong Kong, China, having beaten the East Asian side 2-0 away.
Uzbekistan v Hong Kong, China
Venue: Bunyodkor Stadium (Tashkent)
Kick-off: Tuesday, 19:30 (UTC+5)
Turkmenistan v Iran
Venue: Multi-Functional Stdium (Ashgabat)
Kick-off: Tuesday, 20:00 (UTC+5)
Group F
Iraq are another team who need a win to confirm progression after notching three victories from as many matches.
They face a Philippines side desperate for a win after collecting only one point so far while Vietnam will eye revenge after losing 1-0 to Indonesia on Thursday, a result which left them a point adrift of their Southeast Asian rivals.
Philippines v Iraq
Venue: Rizal Memorial Stadium (Manila)
Kick-off: Tuesday, 19:00 (UTC+8)
Vietnam v Indonesia
Venue: My Dinh National Stadium (Hanoi)
Kick-off: Tuesday, 19:00 (UTC+7)
Group G
Saudi Arabia will also confirm their place in the third round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers with victory over Tajikistan.
The Central Asian side, however, will be powered by their fans in their bid to add to the four points already collected.
AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 runners-up Jordan will be looking to leapfrog Tajikistan into second place with victory against Pakistan.
Tajikistan v Saudi Arabia
Venue: Central Republican Stadium (Dushanbe)
Kick-off: Tuesday, 20:00 (UTC+5)
Jordan v Pakistan
Venue: Amman International Stadium (Amman)
Kick-off: Tuesday, 22:00 (UTC+3)
Group H
UAE will look to get the job done with two matches to spare when they Yemen, with victory assuring them a top two finish.
Victory for Bahrain against Nepal will also leave them well placed to advance to the third round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers and book their spot in the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027.
Yemen v UAE
Venue: Prince Saud Bin Jalawi Stadium (Khobar)
Kick-off: Tuesday, 22:00 (UTC+3)
Bahrain v Nepal
Venue: Bahrain National Stadium (Riffa)
Kick-off: Tuesday, 22:00 (UTC+3)
Group I
Australia will also be expected to confirm their spots, needing a win against Lebanon on Tuesday.
Victory for Australia will leave Lebanon hanging precariously, with Palestine holding a two-point advantage over them.
Palestine will be determined to not slip up against Bangladesh, having defeated the South Asian side 5-0 on Thursday.
Lebanon v Australia
Venue: Gio Stadium Canberra (Canberra)
Kick-off: Tuesday, 19:45 (UTC+10)
Bangladesh v Palestine
Venue: Bashundhara Kings Arena (Dhaka)
Kick-off: Tuesday, 15:30 (UTC+6)
