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2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC First Round

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2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC first round
Tournament details
Dates12–17 October 2023
Teams20 (from 1 confederation)
Tournament statistics
Matches played20
Goals scored51 (2.55 per match)
Attendance138,247 (6,912 per match)
Top scorer(s)Indonesia Dimas Drajad
Indonesia Ramadhan Sananta
(3 goals each)
← 2022
2030 →

The AFC first round of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, which also served as the first round of 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification, was played from 12 to 17 October 2023.

Format[]

A total of twenty teams were drawn into ten home-and-away ties, the winners of which advanced to the second round. As the second round draw occurred on the same date as the first round draw, each winner already knew their second round schedule.

Schedule[]

The schedule was as follows:

Matchday Date(s)
Matchday 1 12 October 2023
Matchday 2 17 October 2023

Draw[]

The draw for the first round was held on 27 July 2023 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

These 20 teams were divided into ten pairings, with each pair playing home and away across 12 and 17 October 2023. The numbers in parentheses indicate the FIFA Men's World Ranking of July 2023.

Note: Bolded teams qualified for the second round.

Pot 1 Pot 2
  •  Hong Kong (149)
  •  Indonesia (150)
  •  Chinese Taipei (153)
  •  Maldives (155)
  •  Yemen (156)
  •  Afghanistan (157)
  •  Singapore (158)
  •  Myanmar (160)
  •  Nepal (175)
  •  Cambodia (176)
  •  Macau (182)
  •  Mongolia (183)
  •  Bhutan (185)
  •  Laos (187)
  •  Bangladesh (189)
  •  Brunei (190)
  •  Timor-Leste (192)
  •  Pakistan (201)
  •  Guam (203)
  •  Sri Lanka (207)

Summary[]

The ten winners advanced to the second round of qualifying.

Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
Afghanistan  2–0  Mongolia 1–0 1–0
Maldives  2–3  Bangladesh 1–1 1–2
Singapore  3–1  Guam 2–1 1–0
Yemen  4–1  Sri Lanka 3–0 1–1
Myanmar  5–1  Macau 5–1 0–0
Cambodia  0–1  Pakistan 0–0 0–1
Chinese Taipei  7–0  Timor-Leste 4–0 3–0
Indonesia  12–0  Brunei 6–0 6–0
Hong Kong  4–2  Bhutan 4–0 0–2
Nepal  2–1  Laos 1–1 1–0

Matches[]

12 October 2023 (2023-10-12)
19:00 UTC+5
 Afghanistan  1–0  Mongolia Pamir Stadium, Dushanbe (Tajikistan)
Attendance: 1,456
Referee: Qasim Al-Hatmi (Oman)
Sharza Goal 60' Report
17 October 2023 (2023-10-17)
15:00 UTC+8
 Mongolia  0–1  Afghanistan MFF Football Centre, Ulaanbaatar
Attendance: 2,185
Referee: Hassan Akrami (Iran)
Report Noor Goal 72'

Afghanistan won 2–0 on aggregate and advanced to the second round.

12 October 2023 (2023-10-12)
16:00 UTC+5
 Maldives  1–1  Bangladesh National Football Stadium, Malé
Attendance: 2,500
Referee: Vahid Kazemi (Iran)
Nazeem Goal 87' Report Saad Goal 90+2'
17 October 2023 (2023-10-17)
17:45 UTC+6
 Bangladesh  2–1  Maldives Bashundhara Kings Arena, Dhaka
Attendance: 6,729
Referee: Ammar Mahfoodh (Bahrain)
Rakib Goal 11'
Fahim Goal 46' 		Report Aisam Goal 36'

Bangladesh won 3–2 on aggregate and advanced to the second round.

12 October 2023 (2023-10-12)
19:30 UTC+8
 Singapore  2–1  Guam National Stadium, Singapore
Attendance: 10,355
Referee: Mohammad Ghabayen (Jordan)
Van Huizen Goal 35'
Mahler Goal 41' 		Report Cunliffe Goal 90'
17 October 2023 (2023-10-17)
14:45 UTC+10
 Guam  0–1  Singapore GFA National Training Center, Dededo]
Attendance: 1,012
Referee: Chen Hsin-chuan (Chinese Taipei)
Report Shawal Goal 81'

Singapore won 3–1 on aggregate and advanced to the second round.

12 October 2023 (2023-10-12)
20:00 UTC+3
 Yemen  3–0  Sri Lanka Damac Club Stadium, Khamis Mushait (Saudi Arabia)
Attendance: 1,526
Referee: Nasrullo Kabirov (Tajikistan)
Maher Goal 33'
Al-Gahwashi Goal 67'
Al-Matari Goal 90+3' 		Report
17 October 2023 (2023-10-17)
15:00 UTC+5:30
 Sri Lanka  1–1  Yemen Colombo Racecourse, Colombo
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Clifford Daypuyat (Philippines)
Rathnayake Goal 89' Report Al-Matari Goal 4'

Yemen won 4–1 on aggregate and advanced to the second round.

12 October 2023 (2023-10-12)
16:00 UTC+6:30
 Myanmar  5–1  Macau Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon
Attendance: 6,213
Referee: Pranjal Banerjee (India)
Lwin Moe Aung Goal 39', 90+5'
Soe Moe Kyaw Goal 62'
Aung Kaung Mann Goal 81'
Nay Moe Naing Goal 90+1' 		Report Torrão Goal 55'
17 October 2023 (2023-10-17)
19:30 UTC+8
 Macau  0–0  Myanmar Estádio Campo Desportivo, Macau
Attendance: 2,187
Referee: Salim Al-Majarafi (Oman)
Report

Myanmar won 5–1 on aggregate and advanced to the second round.

12 October 2023 (2023-10-12)
19:00 UTC+7
 Cambodia  0–0  Pakistan Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh
Attendance: 11,718
Referee: Baraa Aisha (Palestine)
Report
17 October 2023 (2023-10-17)
14:00 UTC+5
 Pakistan  1–0  Cambodia Jinnah Sports Stadium, Islamabad
Attendance: 9,562
Referee: Feras Taweel (Syria)
Hamid Goal 68' Report

Pakistan won 1–0 on aggregate and advanced to the second round.

12 October 2023 (2023-10-12)
19:00 UTC+8
 Chinese Taipei  4–0  Timor-Leste National Stadium, Kaohsiung
Attendance: 1,894
Referee: Ismaeel Habib Ali (Bahrain)
Yu Yao-hsing Goal 4', 60'
Chen Ting-yang Goal 57'
Ko Yu-ting Goal 88' 		Report
17 October 2023 (2023-10-17)
19:00 UTC+8
 Timor-Leste  0–3  Chinese Taipei National Stadium, Kaohsiung (Taiwan)
Attendance: 745
Referee: Tejas Nagvenkar (India)
Report Yu Chia-huang Goal 18'
Wu Yen-shu Goal 21'
Kouamé Goal 24'

Chinese Taipei won 7–0 on aggregate and advanced to the second round.

12 October 2023 (2023-10-12)
19:00 UTC+7
 Indonesia  6–0  Brunei Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta
Attendance: 23,318
Referee: Bijan Heydari (Iran)
Dimas Goal 7', 72', 90+2'
Ridho Goal 12'
Sananta Goal 63' (pen.), 67' 		Report
17 October 2023 (2023-10-17)
20:15 UTC+8
 Brunei  0–6  Indonesia Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium, Bandar Seri Begawan
Attendance: 17,281
Referee: Ahmed Al-Ali (Jordan)
Report Hokky Goal 6', 44'
Egy Goal 42'
Witan Goal 47' (pen.)
Ridho Goal 63'
Sananta Goal 82'

Indonesia won 12–0 on aggregate and advanced to the second round.

12 October 2023 (2023-10-12)
20:00 UTC+8
 Hong Kong  4–0  Bhutan Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong
Attendance: 10,259
Referee: Razlan Joffri Ali (Malaysia)
Udebuluzor Goal 10', 16'
S. Chan Goal 28'
Norbu Goal 35' (o.g.) 		Report
17 October 2023 (2023-10-17)
18:00 UTC+6
 Bhutan  2–0  Hong Kong Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu
Attendance: 5,300
Referee: Thoriq Alkatiri (Indonesia)
Gyeltshen Goal 28'
Chogyal Goal 47' 		Report

Hong Kong won 4–2 on aggregate and advanced to the second round.

12 October 2023 (2023-10-12)
17:30 UTC+5:45
 Nepal  1–1  Laos Dasharath Rangasala, Kathmandu
Attendance: 11,235
Referee: Nivon Robesh Gamini (Sri Lanka)
Bista Goal 48' Report Bounkong Goal 33'
17 October 2023 (2023-10-17)
19:00 UTC+7
 Laos  0–1  Nepal New Laos National Stadium, Vientiane
Attendance: 9,772
Referee: Ali Reda (Lebanon)
Report Dangi Goal 53'

Nepal won 2–1 on aggregate and advanced to the second round.

Ranking of best losing teams[]

The first round doubled as preliminary qualifying for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. The top-ranked losing team progressed to the third round of Asian Cup qualifying, while the remainder joined the Northern Mariana Islands in the play-off round.


Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Bhutan 2 1 0 1 2 4 −2 3 Asian Cup qualifying third round
2  Maldives 2 0 1 1 2 3 −1 1 Asian Cup qualifying play-off round
3  Laos 2 0 1 1 1 2 −1 1
4  Cambodia 2 0 1 1 0 1 −1 1
5  Sri Lanka 2 0 1 1 1 4 −3 1
6  Macau 2 0 1 1 1 5 −4 1
7  Guam 2 0 0 2 1 3 −2 0
8  Mongolia 2 0 0 2 0 2 −2 0
9  Timor-Leste 2 0 0 2 0 7 −7 0
10  Brunei 2 0 0 2 0 12 −12 0
Source: AFC
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Lower disciplinary points total; 5) Drawing of lots.

Goalscorers[]

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
AFC
First round · Second round · Third round · Fourth round · Fifth round (play-off)
CAF

First round: (Group A · Group B · Group C · Group D · Group E · Group F · Group G · Group H · Group I) · Second round (play-offs)

CONCACAF
First round · Second round · Third round
CONMEBOL
Round Robin
OFC
First round · Second round · Third round
UEFA

First round: (Group A · Group B · Group C · Group D · Group E · Group F · Group G · Group H · Group I · Group J · Group K · Group L) · Second round (play-offs)

Play-offs
Inter-confederation play-offs
2027 AFC Asian Cup
Group A · Group B · Group C · Group D · Group E · Group F
Knockout stage · Final
Squads · Venues
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