Four Countries Compete to Host Fourth Round of Asia’s 2026 World Cup Qualifiers
Four nations—United Arab Emirates, Iraq, China, and Indonesia—have submitted bids to host the fourth round of the AFC World Cup 2026 Asian qualifiers, even though the third round is still ongoing. The fourth round will take place in October 2025 and feature six teams split into two centralized groups. According to AFC regulations, hosting rights will be awarded to the two best-performing teams from the third round who finish in third or fourth place in their groups.
Currently, the UAE and Iraq have strong chances to meet the criteria for hosting, as both occupy third place in their respective groups and hold the highest point totals among the potential fourth-round contenders. China’s bid, however, is seen as more ambitious, given that they are still in sixth place in their group and will need to secure key victories—particularly against Indonesia—to qualify for the next round and meet the hosting eligibility standards.
Indonesia, sitting fourth in Group C with nine points, also aims to host the fourth-round matches. However, their bid’s success will depend heavily on improving their standings in the final two matches of the third round. With competition stiff and qualification not yet guaranteed, each country's hosting ambitions remain closely tied to their performance on the pitch in June 2025.
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