Iran, a perennial Asian power, reached the semi-finals in 2019 under Queiroz and Amir Ghalenoei has an experienced squad full of players such as Ehsan Hajsafi, Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Mehdi Taremi who play their club football in Europe. Australia's run to the last 16 at the 2022 World Cup was built on a tight-knit squad and the Socceroos could challenge for another title to match their 2015 triumph on home soil if they can build momentum and find enough goals. China still do not have a team that anywhere near matches their ambition, while the world's most populous nation, India, will be represented but are highly unlikely to still be around when the prizes are handed out. Palestine managed to qualify for the 24-team tournament despite the many challenges they face and are likely to attract a huge amount of support in Qatar as the war continues to rage in Gaza.
