Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been selected to host the Asian qualifying playoffs for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced on Friday.
The playoffs, scheduled to take place from October 8 to 14, will feature six teams that finished third and fourth in their respective groups in the recently concluded round of qualifiers: Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. These teams will be divided into two groups of three, with the group winners earning automatic spots at the World Cup finals to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The official draw to determine the groupings will take place on July 17.
For teams finishing second in their respective playoff groups, the journey to the World Cup will continue. These runners-up will face off in two additional matches on November 13 and 18. The winner of that encounter will move on to the inter-confederation playoffs, keeping their World Cup hopes alive.
The decision to hold the playoff rounds in Saudi Arabia and Qatar underscores both nations’ growing influence and infrastructure development in the football world, as they continue to play key roles in hosting regional and international tournaments.
In a separate announcement, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation confirmed that the 2025 edition of the Saudi Super Cup will be held in Hong Kong. The tournament will feature top clubs Al-Ittihad, Al-Qadisiyah, Al-Hilal, and Al-Nassr, and is scheduled from August 19 to 23 at the 40,000-seat Hong Kong Stadium.
“This represents a qualitative shift for the tournament, which has achieved remarkable success,” said Saudi Football Federation Secretary General Ibrahim Al-Qassim, highlighting the growing international appeal of Saudi football.
Hosting the Super Cup abroad is part of Saudi Arabia’s broader strategy to expand the global reach of its domestic competitions, as the Kingdom continues to invest in football as a cornerstone of its Vision 2030 initiative.
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