AFC

AFC, the Asian Football Confederation, governs football across Asia and Australia, founded in 1954 and headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. As the largest confederation by membership and population, the AFC represents an enormous and rapidly developing footballing region. Asian football has made significant strides on the world stage, highlighted by South Korea reaching the World Cup semi-finals in 2002 and Japan's memorable victories over major European nations at recent tournaments. For the FIFA World Cup 2026, the AFC has been allocated 8 direct qualifying spots, the most in its history, reflecting both the tournament's expansion and the continent's growing strength. The confederation organizes the AFC Asian Cup and oversees massive investment in football across the region. With well-organized, technically improving teams like Japan, South Korea, Iran and Australia, AFC nations aim to make a deeper impact at the 2026 World Cup.

AFC was allocated 8 spots at FIFA World Cup 2026, the first edition expanded to 48 teams. 9 teams from the confederation qualified for the tournament held across the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) was founded in 1954 and is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Throughout World Cup history, teams from the confederation have made notable contributions, and they aim to achieve even better results at the 2026 edition — the largest tournament ever staged.