Among the 20 teams that have secured tickets to the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Finals, 18 teams earned their spots by qualifying for the third round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in Asia.
These teams include Saudi Arabia, Australia, Iraq, Iran, Uzbekistan, Qatar, UAE, Japan, South Korea, Oman, Palestine, Bahrain, Jordan, China, Indonesia, North Korea, Kuwait, and Kyrgyzstan.
The Singapore national team (in blue) has officially secured a spot in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Finals (Photo: FAS).
Among these 18 teams, Saudi Arabia is also the host nation for the AFC Asian Cup Finals, which will take place in two years.
By the end of the evening on November 18, two more teams, Singapore and Syria, qualified for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Finals, bringing the total number of confirmed teams to 20.
Singapore secured their spot after a 2-1 victory over Hong Kong (China) in Group C of the third qualifying round. This match took place at Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong.
Thailand (in black) continues its relentless race to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup (Photo: FAT).
Singapore currently has 11 points, 3 points ahead of second-placed Hong Kong in Group C. Singapore holds a better head-to-head record against Hong Kong (the first tie-breaker considered when two or more teams have equal points).
Meanwhile, Syria qualified after defeating Pakistan 5-0 in a match last night in Group E of the third qualifying round. This match took place at Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Currently, Syria has 15 points after 5 matches, 9 points ahead of second-placed Myanmar. Myanmar has played one fewer match than Syria, but the Southeast Asian team only has two more matches left in the Asian Cup qualifiers, meaning Myanmar no longer has a chance to catch up with Pakistan.
In addition to Indonesia and Singapore, Southeast Asian football is almost certain to secure a third ticket to the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Finals, coming from Group F of the qualifiers.
Malaysia (in yellow) is desperately holding onto hope, facing pressure from potential penalties by FIFA and AFC (Photo: FAM).
The top spot in this group will either belong to Malaysia (if they win their case at CAS regarding 7 naturalized players) or to Vietnam (if Malaysia loses their case at CAS). This means that at least one more team from Southeast Asia is preparing to secure a ticket to the AFC Asian Cup.
Two other Southeast Asian teams are fiercely competing for tickets to the Finals: the Philippines in Group A and Thailand in Group D.
Last night, the Philippines defeated Maldives 2-0 in a match played in Malé (Maldives). The Philippines has 13 points, ranking second in Group A. They are level on points with group leaders Tajikistan. These two teams will face each other on March 31, 2026, in Tajikistan to directly compete for the top spot, and thus a spot in the Finals.
Meanwhile, Thailand defeated Sri Lanka 4-0 in Group D in a match played in Colombo (Sri Lanka) last night. Thailand currently has 12 points, level on points with group leaders Turkmenistan. These two teams will directly compete for the top spot on March 31, 2026, in Thailand.
In summary, Southeast Asia will have a minimum of 3 teams in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Finals (including Indonesia, Singapore, and either Vietnam or Malaysia), and a maximum of 5 teams could participate in this tournament (potentially including the Philippines and Thailand).
Results of Southeast Asian teams on the evening of November 18
Group A
Timor Leste – Tajikistan: 0-5
Maldives – Philippines: 0-2
Group B
Brunei – Lebanon: 0-3
Group C
Hong Kong (China) – Singapore: 1-2
Group D
Sri Lanka – Thailand: 0-4
Group F
Nepal – Malaysia: 0-1
