The draw for the third round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers (AFC region) took place on July 1, 2021, at Kuala Lumpur.
12 teams from the second round have qualified for the third round of the qualifiers. Seven group toppers from eight groups (Qatar will not play the third round as they are the host country) and five best runners-up teams qualified from the second round.
Based on the special FIFA Ranking released for Asian teams on June 18, top seeds Japan and Iran were placed in Pot 1 of the draw, with Pot 2 comprising Australia and Korea Republic while Pot 3 had Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.