| Tourney Name: | 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification – third round |
| Num Teams: | 24 |
| Confederations: | 1 |
| Prevseason: | 2023 |
| Nextseason: | 2031 |
The third round of 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification will be played from 25 March 2025 to 31 March 2026.[1]
A total of 24 teams (3 best ranked losing teams from the first round + 18 third and fourth-placed teams from the second round + 3 winners from the play-off round) will participate in the third round to compete for the final six slots in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
The 24 teams will be divided into six groups of four teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. Only the group winners of each group will qualify for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, where they will join the 18 teams which qualified directly from the second round.[2]
Best-ranked losing teams from the first round:
Teams finishing third or fourth in their respective second round groups:
Play-off round winners:
The seeding will be based on the FIFA World Rankings at the time of the draw on 19 December 2024.
The 24 teams will be drawn into six groups of four. Each group will contain one team from each respective seeding pots.
The schedule of each matchday is expected to be as follows.[3] [4]
| Matchday | Date(s) | Matches | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matchday 1 | 25 March 2025 | 1 v 4, 3 v 2 | |
| Matchday 2 | 10 June 2025 | 4 v 3, 2 v 1 | |
| Matchday 3 | 9 September 2025 | 4 v 2, 1 v 3 | |
| Matchday 4 | 14 October 2025 | 2 v 4, 3 v 1 | |
| Matchday 5 | 18 November 2025 | 4 v 1, 2 v 3 | |
| Matchday 6 | 31 March 2026 | 1 v 2, 3 v 4 |
Only the winner of each group will qualify for the final tournament, joining the 18 teams that qualified directly (including the host).