However, subject to approval by FIFA and AFC, and agreement of both member associations, the matches could be played as scheduled provided that the safety of all individuals involved met the required standards.

[15] However, on the same day, FIFA, along with the Bangladeshi and Qatari member associations, gave approval to the only second round match originally scheduled for 2020, Qatar v Bangladesh, which was played on 4 December.

[18][19] The draw for the first round took place on 17 April 2019 at 11:00 MST (UTC+8), at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The draw for the second round was held on 17 July 2019 at 17:00 MST (UTC+8), at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

North Korea withdrew from the qualifying round due to safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, therefore the results of their matches were excluded from the group standings.

A total of 24 teams competed in the third round of AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.