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Qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ kicked off on November 16 for the Socceroos as they defeated Bangladesh 7-0 at AAMI Park – their first game in a possible three-year journey to secure Australia’s place at a sixth straight World Cup.
The expansion of the World Cup from 32 teams to 48 has meant a shake-up to the existing qualification format, with Asia now providing eight automatic qualification slots instead of four.
This could mean an easier path for Graham Arnold’s squad if all goes to plan.
How AFC 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying works
The first round of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ AFC qualification competition took place in October 2023.
The AFC’s 20 lowest-ranked teams contested 10 two-legged home-and-away ties, with the winners joining 26 other nations in the second round, which comprised nine four-team sections.
From November 13, 2023, to June 11, 2024, each team played one another both at home and away - with the top two from each group qualifying for the third round.
Australia cruised through their second-round qualifying matches, following up their opening win over Bangladesh with a 1-0 victory over Palestine on November 21.
Following a four-month break between international windows, Australia completed their second-round campaign with wins over Lebanon (2-0 and 0-5), Bangladesh (0-2), and Palestine (5-0).
The perfect record ensured Australia would progress to the third round of qualification, where 18 teams will be split into three groups of six - with each team again playing one another home and away from September 2024 to June 2025.
If the Socceroos finish in the top two of their group in round three, they will be assured a spot at the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
If the Socceroos finish third or fourth in their third-round group, they still have a chance of securing qualification.
The fourth round, which heralds the beginning of the Asian play-offs, consists of the six sides that finished third and fourth respectively across the third-round groups.
They will be split into two groups of three from October 2025, with the winners of these groups qualifying for the finals.
If the Socceroos miss out here, there is still one final chance for a ticket to USA, Mexico and Canada.
The fifth round, set to take place in November 2025, will pit together the two sides that finished as runners-up in the fourth-round group in a two-legged contest.
The winner will advance to the FIFA Play-Off Tournament where they will play against teams from each of the confederations for one of the two final spots at the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
It’s set to be a long qualification journey ahead, but Aussie fans will be strapped in for what will surely be a thrilling ride.
