November 20, 2023 – The sixth round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers for the Asian Zone Group C has concluded. Due to a goal difference disadvantage, China’s national football team currently ranks sixth in the group. The Sports Column of China News Service published an article stating that although the team is at the bottom again, the probability of qualifying is not low.
In the last official match of this year, China’s national team lost 1-3 to Japan at home. Although they lost, the team performed well, and the external reactions were mostly encouraging. According to the rules of this 18-team qualifier, the top two teams in the group will directly advance to the World Cup finals, while the third and fourth teams will have the opportunity to participate in the playoffs. Therefore, despite currently ranking last in the group, China’s national team truly has a chance.
The remaining four matches are crucial, with two of them being home games for China. A relatively favorable point is that the team will play its final match at home. Given the current group situation, the competition for qualification spots is likely to continue until the last round, which could give China’s national team a certain advantage.
However, a disadvantage is that China’s national team faces Japan too early in the second half of the qualifiers. It is regrettable that, despite a good performance, they were unable to prevent Japan from securing three points.
Holding a significant lead in points, it is only a matter of time before Japan locks down the first place. As the 18-team qualifier progresses, European leagues will also enter their latter stages. With the World Cup qualification already secured, Japan is very likely to rest their main players and focus on developing new talent. Therefore, teams facing Japan later in the qualifiers may have an advantage.
However, this is no longer an issue for China’s national team. As long as they perform well in the upcoming matches, they still hold the initiative for qualification. According to the schedule, China’s next World Cup qualifier is away against Saudi Arabia on March 20, 2025, providing time for injured players to recover. However, with the league season over, how to help players maintain their competitive form is a challenge for the coaching staff.
The 2024 season concluded with China’s national team leaving a relatively positive impression. Entering 2025, as fans see some glimmers of hope, they hope that this time the team can create a different outcome.
