https://www.the-afc.com/en/more/afc_competitions/news/asia%E2%80%99s_pathway_to_the_fifa_world_cup_2026_and_afc_asian_cup%E2%84%A2_2027_confirmed.html

so many 2nd, 3rd and 4th chances, it's almost harder for Australia to fail to qualify than to qualify

This 48 team format is fucked.

All because FIFA want China, America and India to qualify. Money, money, money. Nothing matters to those pricks except money.

So UAE, Oman and Iraq would also of qualified from this qualification period. Going to be some blowouts at the World Cup.

And the funny thing is both China and India would still miss out. What will happen in 4 years?

They'll increase it to 64 teams.  

What happens if india qualify and get flogged 31 zip by france

Couldn't agree more.

If they absolutely had to increase the numbers, why not got to 40 teams - eight groups of five with four guaranteed games? (And Asia getting six spots...)

But best to leave it as it is.

I predict euros will overtake the World Cup in interest unless they stuff that up 

They could of had the 2 best 3rd placed teams qualify and the 3rd best enter the intercontinental playoffs 

Also Asia lacks depth in real quality, there are only 6 major nations ( they are all going to the WC) so dividing them by 3 groups means you will only meet one of the major nations during qualifying as opposed to meeting two if there were only 2 final groups 

I would rather have seen FIFA hold the current format every two or three years over the 48 team trainwreck.
Such a stupid idea.

Won't be long before we get UEFA Nations league style WC if that happens.... which inevitably it will.

Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan to qualify from AFC then lol.

Agree that this doesn’t seem to be a great outcome. 

It’s incredible that Europe only has 16 slots, in the old 16 team tournaments they used to have 10 out of 16 , they have increased by 6 from an additional 32 slots..