ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan men’s football team will face Cambodia in round one of the FIFA Asia World Cup Qualifiers, with the winner securing a spot in round two’s Group G which features Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Tajikistan, according to the draw unveiled by FIFA on Thursday.
The first-round matches will be played between a total of 20 teams on October 12 and October 17, on the basis of one home and one away match. Pakistan will take on Cambodia on the above-mentioned dates for a spot in preliminary round two’s Group G.
The 10 winning teams from round one would join the remaining 26 teams in the qualifiers, who are already slotted in the second round on the basis of FIFA Rankings. These 36 teams in total would be grouped into nine groups of four teams each, with the winners and runners-up then progressing through to the third round.
A total of 18 nations that reach the third round will be divided into three groups of six via a draw, with the top two nations in each group qualifying for the FIFA World Cup.
The remaining six teams that finished third and fourth in the third round will then be divided into two groups of three teams for the fourth round, with the victor of each group earning a direct entry ticket to the FIFA World Cup.
“FIFA World Cup, 2026 Qualifiers! Pakistan vs Cambodia,” the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) wrote on Twitter.
Pakistan last month featured in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) 2023 tournament. The green shirts had a disappointing tournament, losing to India 4-0, Kuwait 4-0 and Nepal 1-0.
