5 Asian Teams Guaranteed To Play At 2022 FIFA World Cup In Qatar With 6th Relying On Playoffs

Five teams from the Asian Football Confederation are already guaranteed to feature at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Qatar received an automatic pass as hosts, before being joined by Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia and South Korea after three rounds of AFC qualifying.

The AFC could have six teams at a World Cup for the first time ever depending on who wins an inter-confederation playoff.

United Arab Emirates and Australia - who have been a member of the AFC since leaving the Oceania Football Confederation in 2006 - will meet in an Asian confederation playoff in Doha on 7 June.

The winner of that match will then play Peru a week later for a place at Qatar 2022.

Which Asian teams are going to Qatar 2022?

Iran

Japan

Saudi Arabia

South Korea

Qatar

UAE or Australia?*

*if they win an inter-confederation playoff against Peru in June.

Qatar qualified for the 2022 World Cup as tournament hosts

IMAGO/Pixsell/Igor Kralj

Russia 2018 was the first World Cup to feature five Asian teams. They were Australia, Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia and South Korea.

There had been four Asian teams at each of the previous five tournaments, including the 2002 World Cup where Japan and South Korea both qualified as joint-hosts.

Prior to 1998, Asia only had a maximum of two teams at any World Cup.

Europe will provide 13 of the 32 teams at Qatar 2022.

Five teams have qualified from Africa, while South America will have four or five participants depending on whether Peru qualify.

North America will provide at least three, while the OFC will only be represented in Qatar if New Zealand can beat Costa Rica in a playoff.