The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced the venues for the fourth round (Asian play-offs), which will directly qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
With the conclusion of the third round of qualifiers, six Asian teams have qualified for the World Cup, with two direct places remaining to be determined through the fourth round.
Six teams will participate in the fourth round of qualifiers: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Oman, and Indonesia.
The teams will be divided into two groups of three, with matches played on neutral ground, with the top two teams qualifying directly for the World Cup.
According to the AFC announcement, Saudi Arabia will host one group, and Qatar will host the other group in the Asian play-off.
Meanwhile, press reports indicated that it has been decided that Saudi Arabia will play its group in Qatar, and vice versa, in order to establish the concept of neutrality and ensure that neither country has a home advantage.
A draw to determine the groups and match schedules is scheduled to take place in the next few days, with the play-off matches set to begin during the September international break.
It should be noted that the two teams finishing second in the two groups will play two-legged matches in November, with one team qualifying for the global play-off.
