Asian Cup 2027 groups: all six groups after the draw
The draw for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 was made on Saturday, May 9, 2026 at Salwa Palace in the At-Turaif district of Diriyah, outside Riyadh. It placed the 24 finalists in six groups of four, with hosts Saudi Arabia opening the tournament against Palestine on January 7, 2027. The last place, in Group E, went to Yemen after a play-off win over Lebanon in June. All six groups, the draw pots and the key fixtures are below.
Updated
The six groups
| Group | Team 1 | Team 2 | Team 3 | Team 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Saudi Arabia (hosts) | Kuwait | Oman | Palestine |
| B | Uzbekistan | Bahrain | North Korea | Jordan |
| C | Iran | Syria | Kyrgyzstan | China |
| D | Australia | Tajikistan | Iraq | Singapore |
| E | South Korea | United Arab Emirates | Vietnam | Yemen |
| F | Japan | Qatar | Thailand | Indonesia |
Group F pairs Japan, record four-time champions, with holders Qatar, who won the last two editions (2019 and 2023). Group D sends Australia, the 2015 winners, in with 2007 champions Iraq and Singapore, who are at the finals for the first time since hosting in 1984 after beating Hong Kong 2–1 in the last qualifying round. Iran's 16th consecutive appearance — a record shared with South Korea — starts in Group C against China, Syria and Kyrgyzstan, while South Korea meet the UAE, Vietnam and Yemen in Group E.
The draw: May 9, 2026 at At-Turaif, Diriyah
The AFC originally scheduled the draw for April 11, 2026, then moved it to May 9 because of the regional security situation. It was staged at Salwa Palace in At-Turaif, the UNESCO-listed birthplace of the Saudi state, with Salem Al Dawsari and Hidetoshi Nakata among the draw assistants. The 24 teams were seeded into four pots on the FIFA ranking, with hosts Saudi Arabia placed in Pot 1 and at position A1.
| Pot | Teams |
|---|---|
| Pot 1 | Saudi Arabia, Japan, Iran, South Korea, Australia, Uzbekistan |
| Pot 2 | Qatar, Iraq, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Syria |
| Pot 3 | Bahrain, Thailand, China, Palestine, Vietnam, Tajikistan |
| Pot 4 | Kyrgyzstan, North Korea, Indonesia, Kuwait, Singapore, Lebanon/Yemen play-off winner |
The Pot 4 place for the "Lebanon/Yemen play-off winner" existed because the last third-round qualifying match had been postponed. Yemen beat Lebanon 2–0 at Hamad Al-Kabeer Stadium in Doha on June 4, 2026, with both goals from Nasser Mohammedoh, to complete the line-up and take the fourth place in Group E; it is Yemen's second Asian Cup after 2019.
Group fixtures for the leading teams
| Team (group) | Match 1 | Match 2 | Match 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia (A) | Jan 7 v Palestine (opening match, Riyadh) | Jan 12 v Oman | Jan 17 v Kuwait |
| Japan (F) | Jan 11 v Indonesia | Jan 16 v Thailand | Jan 20 v Qatar |
| South Korea (E) | Jan 10 v Yemen | Jan 15 v Vietnam | Jan 20 v UAE |
| Australia (D) | Jan 9 v Singapore | Jan 14 v Iraq | Jan 19 v Tajikistan |
| Iran (C) | Jan 9 v China | Jan 13 v Kyrgyzstan | Jan 18 v Syria |
| Uzbekistan (B) | Jan 8 v Jordan | Jan 12 v North Korea | Jan 17 v Bahrain |
Dates are from the AFC's official match schedule published on May 13, 2026. The tournament opens with Saudi Arabia v Palestine at the King Fahd Sports City Stadium in Riyadh at 20:00 local time on January 7; almost every other match kicks off at 19:00 AST. Stadium allocations for individual group matches are on the schedule page once confirmed; the full stadium list is on the stadiums page.
How the groups feed the knockout rounds
The top two in each group qualify for the round of 16 along with the four best third-placed teams, ranked on points, goal difference and goals scored across all six groups. The round of 16 is played on January 22–25, the quarter-finals on January 28–29, the semi-finals on February 1–2 and the final on February 5, 2027 — 51 matches in total. The bracket in the AFC schedule sends the Group A winner to a round-of-16 tie against a third-placed team from Group C, D or E, and the Group F winner against the Group E runner-up.
Asian Cup 2027 groups FAQ
What group are Japan in at the Asian Cup 2027?
Group F with Qatar, Thailand and Indonesia. Japan play Indonesia on January 11, Thailand on January 16 and Qatar on January 20, 2027.
What group are Australia in at the Asian Cup 2027?
Group D with Tajikistan, Iraq and Singapore. The Socceroos open against Singapore on January 9, then meet Iraq on January 14 and Tajikistan on January 19.
What group are South Korea in?
Group E with the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and Yemen. South Korea start against Yemen on January 10, 2027.
Who took the last place in Group E?
Yemen, who beat Lebanon 2–0 in Doha on June 4, 2026 in the postponed final qualifier. At the time of the draw the place was listed as 'Lebanon/Yemen'.
Where and when was the Asian Cup 2027 draw?
May 9, 2026 at Salwa Palace, At-Turaif, Diriyah, near Riyadh. It had been moved from April 11 because of the regional security situation.
Related
Details marked TBC had not been confirmed by the organiser when this page was last updated (September 10, 2026).