According to the Japanese media outlet “Football Zone,” after suffering a heavy defeat to the Japanese team, Chinese players remained silent post-match, unwilling to speak. While some players gave brief responses to journalists’ questions, most chose to remain silent.
On September 5th, in the Saitama 2002 Stadium, Japan won the first round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup with a resounding 7-0 victory over China.
The match saw Japan begin scoring from the 12th minute when Watanabe Ko headed in a goal from a corner kick, opening the scoring for his team. Japan maintained relentless pressure and ultimately crushed China. For the Chinese team, who suffered this heavy defeat, the players clearly could not hide their disappointment and frustration.
The Japanese media reported that in the interview area after the game, when journalists asked in English if they could ask questions or make brief comments, most Chinese players chose silence and left the scene directly.
Wu Lei, the star player of the Chinese team who previously played for Espanyol, also shook his head, seemingly declining the interview with, “Let me rest a bit.”
While some players said, “I don’t speak English” or “Because we lost (it’s not convenient to give an interview),” all the players had grave expressions and quickly boarded the team bus and left the scene.