On the morning of April 15, Beijing time, the latest report from the well-known journalist Ma Dexing said that the final stage of the World Preliminary Tournament in Asia will be expanded, from the top 12 in the Asian region of the World Preliminary Tournament to the top 18, and the number of promotion places has increased to 8.5, which is the result of the comprehensive expansion of the 2026 World Cup, but the schedule has not yet been finally confirmed, and there are certain variables.
Ma Dexing said that AFC experts have begun to plan the transformation of the Round of 12 into the Round of 18 to expand the influence of the World Preliminary Tournament and the World Cup in Asia.
For the next cycle of the World Preliminary Tournament, the AFC initially set 2 sets of plans, the first set of plans: the first stage to let the FIFA ranked teams to carry out a round of knockout matches; the second stage by the first stage of the knockout winners combined with the top ranked teams to form a round of 36, divided into 9 groups, each group of 4 teams, take the home and away format, the top two teams to advance; the third stage is the 18 rounds, divided into three groups, each group of the top two qualified, each group of the third and fourth to enter the playoffs. In the play-off stage, the three group stages third and fourth teams divided into two groups for home and away competition, the first place in the two groups won the 7th and 8th promotion places, and the two groups competed for the last 0.5 promotion places to participate in the intercontinental play-offs.
The second set of plans: the first and second stages of the first set of plans are integrated, all 46 associations under the AFC participate, the last two teams start a knockout round, and then the 45 teams are divided into 9 groups, each group of 5 teams, home and away competition system, the top two of each group directly into the round of 18, and finally according to the first set of 18 rules to compete for 8.5 promotion places.
According to this format, the national football team 2 major bitter lords will return, respectively, Uzbekistan and Thailand, both teams are national football bitter masters, the former has repeatedly attacked the national football team in international competitions, this World Preliminary Tournament missed the top 12, expanded to the top 18, which means that they can basically lock a seat; Thailand is also the bitter lord of the national football team, has 5-1 bloodbath the national football team, this World Preliminary Tournament is also absent from the top 12, and the expansion of the top 18 can also lock a seat.
The national football team currently ranks 9th in Asia, the recent downturn, even the concept of team building has not yet taken shape, Li Xiaopeng and Li Tie are almost the same, are at a loss during the team leadership period, do not know how to create a fixed tactical system, so as to let the national football team play a stable state of the game. More importantly, how to use naturalized players still plagues the national football coach. In such a situation, the national football team needs more time to adjust and buffer, and the second set of plans adopted by the next World Preliminary Tournament may be what the national football team hopes to see, because it can get more preparation time.
Next, the national football team may usher in a major adjustment again, coach Li Xiaopeng is afraid to leave before the Asian Cup, he has the idea of retreating from the difficulty, from the well-known reporter Chen Yong's report, the national football coach Li Tie may choose to take the initiative to leave the post like Li Tie, resigning from the position of national football coach, on the one hand, Li Xiaopeng led the team to have a poor record, on the one hand, after 1-3 Vietnam, it triggered huge public opinion.