How Asia fared in World Cup and what comes next
• A record nine Asian nations competed in the FIFA World Cup 2026, though the overall performance of the AFC representatives was described as underwhelming. • Japan and Australia reached the Round of 32 before suffering close defeats, while five other teams—Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Uzbekistan—finished bottom of their groups without a win. • IR Iran and Korea Republic narrowly missed the knockout stages, failing to qualify as one of the best third-place finishers.
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