The 30 teams - two more than the previous record of 28 from the 2019 Qualifiers - were divided into eight groups - six of four and two of three - to contest a single round-robin centralised league from October 5 to 11.
Each group winner will advance to the Finals, joining the quartet of teams that have qualified directly as the top four finishers from the 2026 campaign: defending champions DPR Korea, runners-up Japan, and semi-finalists Australia and China PR. .....
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