FIFA World Cup 2026: Asia qualifiers set to kick off with the continent’s lowest-ranked teams
The HinduAsia is set to start its 2026 World Cup journey, giving the lower-ranked teams such as Afghanistan, Bhutan and Pakistan a chance to grab some attention and secure matches against football’s continental heavyweights. The Asian Football Confederation’s 20 lowest-ranked teams compete in two-leg, home-and-away series on Thursday and next Tuesday, with the 10 winners advancing to the second round of the qualifying group stage. “It’s very important for us to get past Mongolia into the second round as we would play India, Kuwait and Qatar,” Afghanistan coach Abdullah Al-Mutairi told The Associated Press. “We need as many games as possible, and these are strong teams, but we have the quality to show what we can do.” With little in the way of domestic football in Afghanistan, Al-Mutairi has tapped into the country’s diaspora and selected talent based in Europe, Asia and Australia to fill the national team’s roster.