Pakistan to Learn FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifying Opponents on July 27

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced that the draws for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers will take place on July 27. Pakistan, who are ranked in the bottom 18 teams in the FIFA rankings, will have to play in the first round of qualifying.

The first round of qualifying will see the 18 lowest-ranked AFC teams divided into nine pairings, with each pair playing one home and one away match. The nine winners of the first round will progress to the second round, where they will join the remaining 27 teams.

The 36 teams in the second round will be drawn into nine groups of four, competing against each other in a home-and-away round-robin format. The nine group winners and the nine runners-up will advance to the third round of qualifying.

The third round of qualifying will see the 18 teams divided into three groups of six. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026. The other two direct AFC entrants will be determined in the fourth round of qualifying, with one more possible berth available via an Intercontinental Playoff.

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The remaining 18 teams from the second round will proceed directly to the third and final round of AFC Asian Cup qualifying.

The draws for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers will take place at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The draw will be streamed live on the AFC’s website and social media channels.

Here are some additional details:

• The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
• There will be 48 teams competing in the World Cup, up from 32 in previous tournaments.
• The qualification process for the World Cup is still being finalized, but the AFC has released the following details:
  • The first round of qualifying will be played between October 12 and 17, 2023.
  • The second round of qualifying will be played between November 2023 and June 2024.
  • The third round of qualifying will be played between September 2024 and March 2025.
  • The fourth round of qualifying will be played between June and September 2025.
• The Intercontinental Playoff will be played between June and September 2025.