Iran and South Korea aren’t far behind either.
The next FIFA World Cup is still a long way off, and many regions have yet to even begin their qualification rounds. However, Japan has now opened the door to securing a spot in the tournament. If they win their upcoming qualifier, they will become the first team outside of the host countries to confirm their place in the 2026 World Cup.
The first World Cup with 48 teams will take place next June and July, hosted jointly by Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Japan has been in excellent form since the start of the South Asian qualifiers. They won all six of their matches in the second round, topping their group to advance to the third round.
In this stage, they currently lead Group C with 16 points from five wins and one draw. The only points they dropped were in October when they drew 1-1 with Australia.
If Japan defeats Bahrain in their next match, they will secure a spot in the World Cup, becoming the first team to do so in this qualification cycle. Although everything seems within reach, Japan’s coach, Hajime Moriyasu, is not taking anything for granted.
When announcing the squad last week, he said, “Nothing is final yet, and I believe if we play the way we have been, we will win the next match and secure our spot in the World Cup. We should focus on that.”
Australia, sitting second in the group, trails Japan by 9 points. Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and China are tied with 6 points each, occupying the next four positions.
In the third phase of qualifying, teams are divided into three groups. The top two teams from each group will earn direct spots in the 2026 World Cup. The third and fourth place teams from each group will compete in a fourth-round playoff, with the winners of those two groups also securing a World Cup spot. The runners-up from the two groups will meet in a fifth-round home-and-away playoff, and the winner will then play in the inter-confederation playoff.
Iran is leading the battle for the World Cup ticket in Group A, sitting at the top with 16 points from six matches. Uzbekistan is in second place, 3 points behind.
In Group B, South Korea leads with 14 points from six matches, while Iraq follows in second with 11 points.
