Amid the unpredictability of the Asian qualifiers, the only certainty is a Japan triumph

The third round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has certainly not failed to deliver its fair share of drama through some previously unfathomable plot twists.

There is the indomitable tale of upstarts Indonesia , appearing at this stage for the first time and the lowest ranked of the 18 teams, who thus far remain unbeaten following three draws against formidable opposition. And there could so nearly have been a historic win for them over Bahrain .

There is the surprising struggle of reigning back-to-back AFC Asian Cup champions Qatar , who stumbled out of the blocks without a win in their first two outings before steadying the ship with victory over Kyrgyz Republic but remain fourth in Group A.

In the same group, North Korea -- who were not even in the running to qualify for the 2022 edition -- have already claimed creditable draws against Qatar and, most recently, United Arab Emirates . This, with every member of their squad currently plying their trade domestically.

Amid all the unpredictability, there has been one certainty: Japan producing a dominant display en route to victory.

Remarkably, this has all happened in a group that promised to deliver the most thrills and spills.

When the draw for the third round of Asian qualifiers was made back in June, Group C loomed as the most competitive.

In Japan, Saudi Arabia and Australia , there were three continental powerhouses -- who all notched impressive wins at the last World Cup -- vying for just two guaranteed qualification berths.

And that is without factoring in former powerhouses China , a rising force in Bahrain, and an Indonesian outfit who have made a habit of punching above their weight.

Yet, with three rounds of fixtures completed, Japan's quest to secure an 8th consecutive World Cup appearance has become something of a procession.

Opening victories over China and Bahrain were expected, although the manner in which they racked up 12 goals across those two games was an early sign of their dominance.

On Thursday, in what on paper loomed as arguably their toughest test, the Samurai Blue were largely untroubled in a 2-0 victory away to Saudi Arabia in a clash of the titans.

From the time Daichi Kamada fired them ahead in the 15th minute, the visitors always looked in control of proceedings before they made sure of the three points with nine minutes remaining when Koki Ogawa headed home a Junya Itō corner.

Goalkeeper Zion Suzuki did have to make a fine save to deny Saud Abdulhamid towards the end of the first half while Saleh Al-Shehri spurned an excellent chance late on, but there was always a feeling that Japan still had a third and fourth gear to engage had the need arisen.

Once again, the opposition had no answer for Hajime Moriyasu's adventurous new 3-4-2-1 system, which has seen him employ traditional wingers in Kaoru Mitoma and Ritsu Dōan as wing-backs.

Moriyasu is so confident in his team that he is now effectively fielding five recognised attacking players in his starting XI. And then there is Wataru Endō and Hidemasa Morita , who have combined for three goals already performing more box-to-box duties on the international stage as opposed to the anchorman roles they more often play at club level.

There is also the plethora of talent waiting in the wings.

Ogawa and Itō, who combined for the second goal against Saudi Arabia, were both brought off the bench. Takefusa Kubo , for so long viewed as the crown jewel of his generation, was only required as an 88th-minute substitute. England-based Ao Tanaka , Yuki Ohashi and Yukinari Sugawara did not even make it on the pitch.

Japan have now scored 14 goals in just three matches in the third round of Asian qualifiers. Add in their results from the previous stage and it is a staggering 38 goals from nine games. With none conceded.

Obviously, despite how formidable they have been, it is unthinkable that the Samurai Blue will complete the entire qualification campaign with a perfect streak. It just does not happen.

At some point, they should drop points. They might even lose a game eventually.

For now, however, if there is one thing that is a remote certainty amid the Asian qualifiers that have produced plenty of shocks, it is that Japan will take some stopping.

Come Tuesday, it will be Australia's turn to try.