{"id":12571,"date":"2025-06-15T10:29:52","date_gmt":"2025-06-15T07:29:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lovin.co\/doha\/?p=12571"},"modified":"2025-06-15T10:29:52","modified_gmt":"2025-06-15T07:29:52","slug":"qatar-and-saudi-arabia-to-host-afc-qualifiers-playoffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lovin.co\/doha\/en\/news\/qatar-and-saudi-arabia-to-host-afc-qualifiers-playoffs\/","title":{"rendered":"Qatar and Saudi Arabia To Host AFC Qualifiers Playoffs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Get ready for the ultimate football showdown! The Asian Football Confederation has just revealed that Qatar and Saudi Arabia will host the highly anticipated AFC Asian Qualifiers \u2013 Road to 26 Playoffs. Six fierce national teams are about to clash in a battle for glory, all vying for that coveted spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup!<\/p>\n

Hosts Selected for Playoffs<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Qatar and Saudi Arabia will co-host the upcoming playoff matches. These games are part of the journey to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, featuring teams that finished third and fourth in earlier rounds. It sets the stage for exciting matches in the region.<\/p>\n

Six teams – <\/strong>Indonesia, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE\u2014will compete in the playoffs. They will split into two groups of three for the initial phase. This centralised group stage will run from October 8 to October 14, with the top two teams advancing directly to the World Cup.<\/p>\n

\"Qatar<\/p>\n

Knockout Stage Format<\/strong><\/h2>\n

After the group stage, the runners-up will compete in a two-legged knockout round. These matches, scheduled for November 13 and 18, will determine which team advances to the inter-confederation FIFA Play-off Tournament. The winner will keep their World Cup dreams alive.<\/p>\n

\"Qatar<\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Get ready for the ultimate football showdown! The Asian Football Confederation has just revealed that Qatar and Saudi Arabia will host the highly anticipated AFC Asian Qualifiers \u2013 Road to 26 Playoffs. 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