Asia’s Final Six: Do-or-Die World Cup Qualifiers Kick Off in Qatar and Saudi Arabia

Tonight marks the beginning of the crucial fourth round of the Asian Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Only two direct spots to the World Cup are up for grabs in this stage.
Matchday 1 kicks off tonight, Wednesday, October 8, 2025, with two highly-anticipated matches:

GroupMatchVenueKick-off (UTC+3)Kick-off (IST, UTC+5:30)
Group AOman vs. QatarJassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar18:0020:30 IST
Group BIndonesia vs. Saudi ArabiaKing Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia20:1522:45 IST


Tournament Context
Six teams have been split into two groups of three, with matches taking place in a round-robin format in centralized venues (Qatar for Group A and Saudi Arabia for Group B).
* Group Winners will secure one of the final two direct qualification spots for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
* Group Runners-up will advance to the Fifth Round (a two-legged play-off) for a chance to compete in the FIFA Intercontinental Play-Off Tournament.
The action starts tonight, with all six teams vying for a strong start in their condensed qualification campaign.