The third round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying round in the Asia zone saw the seventh round matches. Japan became the first team to secure a direct ticket to the World Cup.

In Group A, Iran continues to lead with 19 points after beating the UAE (2:0). Uzbekistan moved into second place with 16 points after beating Kyrgyzstan (1:0) in a tense match. The Kyrgyzstan team played with ten men from the 24th minute after Said Datsiev was sent off, and in the 40th minute, their goalkeeper Erzhan Tokotayev saved Eldor Shomurodov's penalty. The UAE and Qatar share third place with 10 points (Qatar defeated North Korea 5:1). Kyrgyzstan has 3 points left, and North Korea is at the bottom of the group with 2 points.

In Group B, the Republic of Korea leads with 15 points after a 1-1 draw with Oman. Jordan and Iraq share second place with 12 points each. Oman has 7 points, Kuwait has 5, and Palestine has 3 points.

In Group C, Japan secured a place at the 2026 World Cup with 19 points after beating Bahrain 2-0. Daichi Kamada (66th minute) and Takefusa Kubo (87th) scored. Australia is second with 10 points after a 5-1 rout of Indonesia. Saudi Arabia is third with 9 points after beating China 1-0. Indonesia, Bahrain, and China share fourth place with 6 points each.

Recall that according to the qualifying format, the top two teams from each group directly qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The third and fourth-placed teams will play in the fourth round, where they will compete for two more direct tickets and a place in the intercontinental playoffs. The 2026 World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 15 to July 13 with 48 teams participating.