The 9 Asian Teams — and When to Watch Them (MYT)

Last week we sorted out the kick-off times. Now let's talk about the part that should hit closest to home: Asia is at this World Cup in record numbers.

Nine AFC teams qualified for World Cup 2026 — the most ever. Japan, South Korea, Australia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, Jordan and Uzbekistan. Two of them, Jordan and Uzbekistan, are playing in their very first World Cup. And in the opening days, Asia has already shown up: South Korea beat Czechia 2-1, and Australia put two past Bosnia and Herzegovina.

For Malaysian fans, this is more than a neutral's watchlist. These are teams we've watched up close — some we've played against in qualifiers. So this week, instead of just telling you when to wake up, we want to ask a bigger question: if Jordan and Uzbekistan can make it, why not Malaysia one day?

First, the watchlist.

The 9 Asian Teams — and When to Watch Them (MYT)

We've grouped these by how friendly their kick-off times are for Malaysian viewers. All times below are Malaysia time (MYT).

The "Set Your Alarm, It's Worth It" Picks

South Korea (Group A) — Off to a flying start with that 2-1 win over Czechia. Son Heung-min's side are one of Asia's best hopes to go deep.

• vs South Africa — Thu 18 June, 7:00 AM (breakfast football!)

Japan (Group F) — Asia's most consistent World Cup side, seven tournaments running. Technical, disciplined, always dangerous.

• vs Netherlands — Sat 20 June, 8:00 AM
• vs Sweden — Fri 26 June, 8:00 AM

Australia (Group D) — The Socceroos opened with a 2-0 win over Bosnia. Physical, organised, never-say-die.

• vs USA — Fri 19 June, 3:00 AM
• vs Paraguay — Sat 20 June, 5:00 AM

The Debutants Writing History

Jordan (Group J) — Their first-ever World Cup, and they've been handed the dream/nightmare draw: Lionel Messi's Argentina.

• vs Austria — Tue 16 June, 12:00 PM (lunch-break football)
• vs Argentina — Sun 28 June, 10:00 AM — a debutant nation facing the world champions. Pure storyline.

Uzbekistan (Group K) — The other first-timers, and a genuinely exciting young side.

• vs Colombia — Thu 18 June, 10:00 AM
• vs Portugal — facing Cristiano Ronaldo's side later in the group

The Rest of the Asian Contingent

Iran (Group G) — Their fourth World Cup in a row. Battle-tested and tough to break down.

• vs New Zealand — Tue 16 June, 9:00 AM

Saudi Arabia (Group H) — Remember they beat Argentina in 2022. Never count them out.

• vs Uruguay — Mon 15 June, 6:00 AM

Iraq (Group I) — Back at the World Cup for the first time since 1986. An emotional return.

• vs Norway — Tue 16 June, 6:00 AM

Qatar (Group B) — The 2022 hosts, this time qualifying on merit. They opened with a 1-1 draw against Switzerland.

• vs Canada — Wed 24 June, 9:00 AM

That's a lot of breakfast- and lunch-friendly football. Asia is, conveniently, the part of the World Cup you can actually watch without ruining your sleep.

What Malaysian Football Can Actually Learn From Them

Here's the part that matters. None of these nine teams arrived by accident. Look closely and the same threads run through all of them — and every one of those threads starts at the grassroots, on ordinary pitches, with ordinary players.

1. They built deep grassroots systems first. Japan's rise wasn't about one golden generation — it was about a nationwide network of youth academies and accessible pitches built patiently over 30 years. Talent isn't found; it's grown, and it's grown on local fields where kids play every week.
2. They export players — but they develop them at home. Son Heung-min and Japan's stars play in Europe now, but they all started in packed local leagues back home. You can't export what you never developed in the first place.
3. Small footballing nations broke through. Jordan and Uzbekistan aren't football superpowers. They're nations roughly comparable to us in footballing pedigree who invested in coaching, competition and youth pathways — and got there. That's the most useful lesson of all: the gap is closeable.
4. Regular competitive minutes are everything. The common factor behind every player at this tournament is simple: they played constantly, in real matches, from a young age. Not occasional games — week-in, week-out competition.

Where Harimau Malaya Fit In

Malaysia isn't at this World Cup. But the national team has been climbing the FIFA rankings, the domestic game is growing, and the appetite is clearly here — you only have to look at how many of us are setting 3am alarms this month.

The path to a Malaysian World Cup, whenever it comes, won't be built in a stadium. It'll be built on local pitches, in youth leagues, in weekly games among friends who just love football. Every player who ever wore a national shirt started exactly where you might be this weekend — on a community pitch with their mates.

That's the whole reason we do what we do.

Watch Asia This Week — Then Get on the Pitch Yourself

So here's the plan: catch South Korea at breakfast on Thursday, watch Jordan make history against Argentina, and let it remind you why you fell in love with this game.

Then go play.

The football ecosystem that produces a World Cup team starts with people simply playing regularly — and that's exactly what our pitches across the Klang Valley are for. Puchong, KSL Klang, Rimbayu, Bandar Seri Coalfields, Eco Grandeur and more, with evening and night slots open daily.

⚽ Book your pitch at metahub.my — round up your kakis, pick a slot, and play.

And if you've got young players in the family inspired by what they're watching, keep an eye out — our youth leagues and tournaments are running through the season, building exactly the kind of grassroots foundation this whole article is about.

Next time Asia walks out at a World Cup, who knows — maybe we'll be talking about ten teams.