The International Football Federation (FIFA) has released the exceptional ranking of Asian national teams ahead of the draw for the final qualifying round for the World Cup. The new ranking did not differ much from the previous one, except for the advancement of the UAE over Iraq, which placed the UAE in the fourth tier while the Iraqi team dropped to the fifth position. According to FIFA's official website: "FIFA published today, June 18, 2021, the Asia ranking, which will be used to determine the seeded teams for the draw. Qatar, ranked fifth and leading Group E in the second round, will not participate in the third round competitions."
#### Draw Regulations for the Final Qualifying Round and Level Rankings:
Regarding the draw scheduled for July 1, FIFA stated: "The twelve teams will be divided into two groups of six, facing each other home and away. The teams that finish first and second in each group (a total of four) will qualify for the FIFA World Cup finals. The two teams finishing third will qualify for the fourth round, where they will meet to determine the teams qualifying for the international playoff."
FIFA continued about the division of teams stating that they will be ranked into six tiers as follows:
- **Level One:** Japan – Iran
- **Level Two:** Australia – South Korea
- **Level Three:** Saudi Arabia – UAE
- **Level Four:** Iraq – China
- **Level Five:** Oman – Syria
- **Level Six:** Vietnam – Lebanon
#### Dates for the Final Qualifying Round Matches:
The third-round matches are scheduled for the following dates:
- September 2, 2021
- September 7, 2021
- October 7, 2021
- October 12, 2021
- November 11, 2021
- November 16, 2021
- January 27, 2022
- February 1, 2022
- March 24, 2022
- March 29, 2022
#### National Teams Ranking (excluding Qatar) according to FIFA:
1. Japan
2. Iran
3. Australia
4. South Korea
5. Saudi Arabia
6. UAE
7. Iraq
8. China
9. Oman
10. Syria
11. Vietnam
12. Lebanon
