(Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports activities illustration)
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for the . the Samurai Blue on Tuesday. The remainder of Asia should wait till the ultimate window of third-round qualifiers in June to e-book tickets — both to the World Cup or a last-chance fourth spherical.
Getting into that closing window, 15 international locations stay alive for six extra assured locations at subsequent summer time’s event. 4 of these locations will probably be crammed by June. The opposite two will probably be awarded within the fall, by way of the fourth spherical (defined under).
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World Cup berths: 8 (plus 1 intercontinental playoff berth)
World Cup qualifying format: It is sophisticated. A primary spherical whittled the sector down from 46 to 36. A second spherical, that includes teams of 4, lower it in half to 18. Within the ongoing third spherical, these 18 groups had been seeded and drawn into three teams of six. The highest two in every group qualify for the World Cup. The following two — so six groups in complete — go to a fourth spherical, or second-chance spherical, the place they’re cut up into two teams of three. The winner of every fourth-round group additionally qualifies. The runners-up go to a playoff for a spot within the intercontinental playoff. So, yeah … sophisticated.
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Asia 2026 World Cup qualifying bubble
Certified: Japan, IranConfident: Uzbekistan, South Korea, JordanBubble: Australia, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, UAE, Qatar, Iraq, OmanLong photographs: Bahrain, China, Kyrgyzstan, Palestine, KuwaitEliminated: North Korea, Mongolia, Maldives, Guam, Sri Lanka, Macau, Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Brunei, Bhutan, Laos, India, Afghanistan, Syria, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Turkmenistan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Philippines, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Nepal, Lebanon, Bangladesh
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Winners, losers of the March qualifiers in Asia
Winner: Australia — Wins over Indonesia and China put the Aussies on strong floor in second place. Their June schedule is hard — vs. Japan, at third-place Saudi Arabia — however their three-point benefit over the Saudis getting into the house stretch may show decisive.
Losers: China and Bahrain — Each marched into March with a practical shot at direct qualification. Each limped out of the window with two losses and waning hopes of even reaching the fourth spherical.
Winner: Jordan — 4 factors, together with one at South Korea, have Jordan in pole place for a direct qualification spot in Group B. A win over Iraq can be enough — regardless of how their first sport of the June window, at Oman, performs out.
Loser: Iraq — Held a 1-0 lead for many of Tuesday’s sport towards Palestine, then threw it away. Palestine’s 88th-minute equalizer and 97th-minute winner knocked Iraq out of the highest two, for now, behind Jordan.