Minnows on the rise in Asian qualifiers for FIFA World Cup

As the midway point of the second round of AFC qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2026 passes, 46 nations battling for eight direct spots at the global showpiece have been whittled down to 31 remaining hopefuls.

Australia, Iraq, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have all reeled off four straight wins to storm into the third round alongside IR Iran and Uzbekistan, while Japan have a perfect record of three wins from as many matches.

At the other end of the spectrum, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Nepal, Pakistan and Turkmenistan have all bowed out of contention.

While it may be the end of the road for a quintet of the continent's smaller nations, others punched above their weight and remain in with a chance of reaching the third round.

Afghanistan pulled off the biggest surprise as Sharif Mukhammad, one of four players without a club in the squad, converted a late penalty in a 2-1 win against India that keeps them outside the top two only on goal difference.

Although they couldn't back it up at home, Thailand's point in Seoul in a 1-1 draw with Korea Republic could prove to be vital, while Kyrgyz Republic, ranked 104, put Chinese Taipei to the sword in their two matches to move to the head of the Group D standings.

While Palestine picked up back-to-back wins against Bangladesh to move within a point of reaching the third round, Tajikistan put in a strong showing in a 1-1 draw at home to six-time World Cup finalists Saudi Arabia.

Only a dozen (current) AFC nations have reached the World Cup. But with an expanded tournament offering more spots, there could be a host of Asian debutants set to grace the global stage in 2026, which would be a major positive for the continent as a whole.