Overview

• Asia’s fourth-round mini-groups run Oct 8–14, with UAE, Oman and Qatar playing one-off matches in Doha for a direct World Cup place.
• The winners of each Asian mini-group qualify for 2026, with runners-up meeting in a two-leg November play-off to reach March’s inter-confederation play-offs.
• Rivals have objected to the AFC’s hosting choice and schedule, noting Qatar and Saudi Arabia enjoy home venues and six-day gaps while visitors face 72-hour turnarounds.
• Oman enter with new coach Carlos Queiroz, backed by striker Muhsen Al-Ghassani to chase a first-ever World Cup, as UAE mobilise fans through “Dream of a Nation” and lean on a multicultural, residency-eligible squad.
• Africa’s final two group rounds this week will decide seven automatic qualifiers, with Morocco and Tunisia already through and a pending Eritrea-related table adjustment still awaiting a formal ruling.