2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC fifth round
| Event | FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| First leg | |||||||
| |||||||
| Date | 13 November 2025 | ||||||
| Venue | Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi | ||||||
| Referee | Shaun Evans (Australia) | ||||||
| Attendance | 32,008 | ||||||
| Second leg | |||||||
| |||||||
| Date | 18 November 2025 | ||||||
| Venue | Basra International Stadium, Basra | ||||||
| Referee | Yusuke Araki | ||||||
| Attendance | 62,444 | ||||||
The AFC fifth round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification were played from 13 to 18 November 2025. The matches were played between the United Arab Emirates and Iraq, to determine which team advances to the inter-confederation play-offs.
Format
The two second-placed teams in each group from the fourth round are playing against each other over two legs in 13–18 November 2025 to determine which team advances to the inter-confederation play-offs.[1] The order of legs was determined by draw.[2]
Qualified teams
| Group (Fourth round) |
Runners-up |
|---|---|
| A |  United Arab Emirates
|
| B |  Iraq
|
Schedule
The competition schedule is expected to be as follows:[1][3]
| Matchday | Date |
|---|---|
| First leg | 13 November 2025 |
| Second leg | 18 November 2025 |
Summary
| Team 1 | Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | 2–3 | Iraq | 1–1 | 1–2 |
Matches
First leg
Second leg
The winner, Iraq, advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs.
Goalscorers
There were 5 goals scored in 2 matches, for an average of 2.5 goals per match.
1 goal
References
- ^ a b "AFC Competitions Committee approves key decisions on reformatted competitions". Asian Football Confederation. 1 July 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
- ^ "Road to 26 Playoffs draw finalised". the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ^ "AFC Competitions Calendar (Aug 2025 – Jul 2026)" (PDF). AFC. 7 April 2023.
External links
- Official FIFA World Cup website
- Qualifiers – Asia Matches, FIFA.com
- FIFA World Cup, the-AFC.com