2022 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) — Qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup for AFC members
Determined AFC's four direct and one play-off berths for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar across four qualification rounds.
Key Facts
- Total AFC slots available
- 4.5 (4 direct + 1 inter-confederation play-off)
- Qualification rounds
- 4
- Host nation
- Qatar (qualified automatically)
- Doubled as qualifier for
- 2023 AFC Asian Cup (rounds 1 & 2)
- Governing body
- Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
By the Numbers
Cause → Event → Consequence
As FIFA's 2022 World Cup host, Qatar secured automatic qualification, while the remaining AFC member nations required a structured multi-round process to compete for 4.5 available berths in the final tournament.
The AFC qualification campaign ran across four rounds, with the first two rounds also serving as qualifiers for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. Qatar, though already qualified as host, participated in these rounds to secure Asian Cup qualification. The first round would have served as qualifiers for the cancelled 2020 AFC Solidarity Cup.
Four AFC nations earned direct qualification to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and one additional AFC nation advanced to an inter-confederation play-off for a further chance at qualification, while rounds one and two also produced qualifiers for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.