Only the group winners of each group will qualify for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, where they will join the 18 teams which qualified directly from the second round.
[1] Best-ranked losing teams from the first round: Teams finishing third or fourth in their respective second round groups: Play-off round winners: The draw was held on 9 December 2024 at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,[5] at 15:00 (UTC+8).
The teams were drawn into six groups of four teams each, with the seeding based on the November 2024 FIFA World Rankings.
[7][8] The winner of each group will qualify for the final tournament, joining the 18 teams that qualified directly (including the host).
If tied on points, tiebreakers will be applied in the following order (Regulations Article 7.3):[9]