"Qatar lifted the 2023 Asian Cup (Image credit: Getty Images) Saudi Arabia and Qatar are set to host qualification mini-tournaments to determine automatic spots in next year's World Cup. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) are holding the fourth round of their World Cup qualifiers in the October international break, with six teams split in half to compete in two separate round-robin tournaments, the winners of which will automatically book their World Cup place."
"In June this year, following a bidding process to host the centralised competition, it was announced that Saudi Arabia and Qatar had been selected. That sparked controversy among the other nations involved, namely Indonesia, Oman, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates. With Saudi Arabia and Qatar both in the qualification process themselves, the main gripe was with the home advantage that each nation will benefit from over their competitors."
The Asian Football Confederation will stage the fourth round of World Cup qualifiers during the October international break with six teams split into two centralised, single-round-robin mini-tournaments. Saudi Arabia and Qatar were selected as hosts after a bidding process; each host participates in its own mini-league and will enjoy home advantage. The winners of the two mini-tournaments will automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Indonesia, Oman, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates raised objections over fairness due to hosting benefits. Qatar and Saudi Arabia have extensive tournament infrastructure, while the other four nations have limited World Cup hosting history.
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