GUADALAJARA, Mexico — The Asian Football Confederation’s representatives remain unbeaten after six matches at the 2026 World Cup, recording two wins and four draws in the opening phase, according to tournament reports. Six of the nine AFC sides have already started their campaigns and some results have come against highly regarded opponents.
South Korea opened the run with a come-from-behind victory over Czechia, while Australia produced a 2-0 win against Türkiye. Japan twice recovered to draw with world No. 8 Netherlands in what coverage described as among the tournament’s standout matches. Saudi Arabia and Qatar each earned credible draws against Uruguay and Switzerland, respectively, and Iran fought back twice to reach a 2-2 stalemate with New Zealand.
These are not debutants to the global stage: every AFC team mentioned took part in the previous World Cup in Qatar three and a half years ago. Newcomers to this tournament will provide fresh tests — debutants Jordan and Uzbekistan are due to face Austria and Colombia, while Iraq make a first World Cup appearance since 1986 when they meet Norway.
Rankings underlined some of the surprises. Qatar sit 30 places below Switzerland in the world rankings, and Saudi Arabia are 42 places adrift of Uruguay, yet both secured draws. The report noted that some teams are sometimes identified mainly by one or two high-profile players — examples cited include Uruguay’s Federico Valverde, Türkiye’s Arda Güler and Switzerland’s Granit Xhaka — and warned that perceived underdogs cannot be written off.
Tensions and expectations were evident after Australia’s win: Türkiye captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu had predicted his side would dominate, and remained defiant following the defeat. Australia sit level atop Group D after Tony Popovic’s side executed a compact game plan that prioritized results over possession. The coverage also highlighted ranking contrasts: South Korea sit 22 places above Czechia and Australia are four spots clear of Türkiye.
