Asia’s World Cup campaign is described as faltering after only two AFC teams reach the knockout stage, highlighting a growing gap between the region’s top sides and the rest. Multiple outlets note that, despite earlier strong participation, most Asian teams fail to progress beyond the group stage. One report points to Australia, Japan and South Korea as the only Asian representatives that previously reached the first knockout round at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, underscoring a contrast with the current tournament’s outcome. Another source emphasizes that the region had a record number of AFC nations reach the finals, yet that breadth does not translate into deeper runs in the competition. Across the articles, the common theme is that Asia’s performance falls short once the tournament moves into the later stages, leaving just two AFC teams to continue competing in the knockout rounds. The coverage frames the result as a clear measure of the disparity between leading Asian teams and their remaining counterparts during the World Cup.