It is even more surprising that there are no 23 players who are good at soccer among a population of 1.4 billion.” As China’s soccer team failed to qualify for the World Cup once again, ridicule from global media and fans continued.
The Spanish media outlet AS noted on the 7th (Korea time) that “It is strange to see this. China, with a population of 1.4 billion, has once again failed to compete in the World Cup,” pointing out, “China: A country where strange things happen.”
China, led by coach Branko Ivanković, lost 1-0 to Indonesia in the 9th match of Group C of the final qualifiers for the 2026 North and Central America World Cup held in Jakarta, Indonesia, on the 5th. With this defeat, China remained at the bottom of Group C in 6th place with 6 points (2 wins, 7 losses), and their hopes of qualifying for the finals were dashed regardless of the remaining matches. In particular, the record of 20 goals conceded over 9 matches is the highest in the group and is notably among the worst in Asia, clearly demonstrating a collapse in defense.
After conceding a goal early in the game, China failed to bounce back and managed only 5 shots, including 1 on target. In contrast, Indonesia pressured China throughout the match with 13 shots, securing the victory. Starting from this World Cup, the number of qualified countries has increased to 48, and 8.5 tickets have been allocated for Asia, which some interpreted as FIFA’s consideration for China. However, China missed even that golden opportunity, continuing their streak of failing to qualify for the World Cup for the 6th consecutive time.
Chinese local media outlet Tencent Sports reported the grim reality under the headline, “A history of blood and tears! China’s 6th failure in soccer.” They stated, “This World Cup had many opportunities for Asia, and China barely passed the second round of qualifications. Under coach Ivanković, they suffered a devastating 0-7 loss to Japan, and after consecutive defeats, they managed to defeat Indonesia and Bahrain, but ultimately faced another three consecutive losses, leading to their final disappointment.”
The reaction from Chinese fans was close to fury. One fan lamented, “FIFA increased the number of participating countries for China, yet we failed again. What more privileges does FIFA need to give us to qualify for the World Cup?” AS also heightened its criticism, stating, “It is hard to understand that a country with a population of 1.4 billion cannot find 23 decent players.”
The repeated failures of Chinese soccer are not merely a matter of results. AS pointed out, “China has a lack of youth development, and the league system is incomplete,” adding, “Structural problems do not change even if the coach changes.” They further asserted that even a proven maestro like Marcello Lippi failed with the Chinese national team and that the gap with Asian powerhouses like Korea, Japan, and Iran is widening, declaring that Chinese soccer cannot rise again without fundamental reform.
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