Third round line-up for FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers confirmed

BEIJING, June 12 (Xinhua) -- The second round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup concluded on Wednesday, with 18 teams advancing to the next round.

In the second round of these qualifiers, 36 teams competed in 9 groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing.

Qatar and Kuwait advanced from Group A. In Group B, Japan progressed with a perfect record of six wins, followed by DPR K