"With the end of the last round of group matches, the battle for Asian spots in the 2026 World Cup has entered a white-hot stage. Many dark horse teams performed brilliantly, while traditional powerhouses faced severe challenges."
The 2026 World Cup Qualifiers Asian 18-team round is halfway through. In the latest standings, in addition to Japan and Iran remaining strong, the rise of Central Asian power has become the biggest highlight. Uzbekistan and Jordan are currently in the top two of their respective groups and are very likely to advance directly. The Chinese men's football team has shown good resilience after changing coaches and is currently ranked fourth in its group, still retaining the hope of advancing through the playoffs. Since this World Cup has expanded to 48 teams, the number of Asian spots has increased to 8.5, allowing more countries to see the possibility of stepping onto the world's highest stage and making the competition far more intense than before.