2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)

The 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification process for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) determined the four guaranteed slots and one possible inter-confederation play-off slot for AFC nations at the 2010 FIFA World Cup held in South Africa. The qualification process began on October 8, 2007, and concluded on June 17, 2009.

The AFC qualification was structured in a series of rounds. In the first round, the lowest-ranked teams played in a two-legged tie. Winners advanced to the second round, where they were joined by other, higher-ranked AFC nations. The teams were drawn into groups, and played a round-robin format. Winners and runners-up then moved to the third round.

The third round mirrored the structure of the second round, with teams drawn into groups and competing in a round-robin format. The top two teams from each group advanced to the fourth and final round.

The fourth round consisted of two groups of five teams. Teams played each other in a home-and-away format. The top two teams from each group automatically qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The two third-placed teams entered a play-off, with the winner advancing to an inter-confederation play-off against a team from the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) for a final chance to qualify.

Key participating nations included Australia, Japan, South Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain. The qualified nations from the AFC were Australia, Japan, South Korea, and North Korea. Bahrain advanced to the inter-confederation play-off but ultimately failed to qualify. The draw format, match schedules, and official results are documented by FIFA and the AFC.