"Brazil table tennis champion = China's World Cup chances."

China defeated Bahrain 1-0 in the final match of Group C of the third qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA North and Central American World Cup held at Chongqing Longxing Stadium on the 10th, but did not secure a spot in the main tournament or even in the playoffs, suffering an early exit from the group stage. With this victory, China finished the third qualifying round with 3 wins and 7 losses (9 points), only avoiding finishing last in the group.

Despite FIFA's consideration, China once again bowed its head at the threshold of the World Cup. This North and Central American World Cup has expanded the number of participating countries to 48, with a staggering 8.5 tickets allocated for the Asian region. This was interpreted as consideration for China, which holds a massive market, but in reality, China was unable to take full advantage of that opportunity.

In Group C, China fought hard in the last match aiming to avoid finishing last. With the same points as Bahrain, China was at the bottom due to goal difference and was in a must-win situation. The gameplay was disastrous. They maintained only 39% possession throughout the 90 minutes, and their expected goals (xG) was merely 0.72, showing a lack of sharpness. Towards the end of the second half, the defense faltered against Bahrain's counterattacks, facing a crisis of conceding a goal.

However, a chance in the last minute saved China. Just before the end of the second half, China obtained a penalty kick due to a handball by the opposing defense, and their ace, Wang Yidong, calmly scored, leading them to a 1-0 victory. As a result, they finished the qualifiers in 5th place, bypassing Bahrain, but there remains a significant gap to the main tournament.

Since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, China has not participated in the main stage for 24 years. At that time, they qualified just once thanks to being exempted from qualifying as hosts alongside South Korea and Japan. After six consecutive failures since then, Sohu.com said, "China always raises expectations only to repeat the same mistakes. It’s now difficult to even be in the top 10 in Asia," offering a bitter assessment. The population of 1.4 billion, along with the increased tickets, was insufficient to change the reality of Chinese football.

China 'Penguin.com' reported, "The Chinese national team once again failed to qualify for the North and Central American World Cup with a record of 3 wins and 7 losses. This is the first World Cup expanded to 48 countries, but their qualification has been thwarted once again," adding, "Asia has a staggering 8.5 tickets, but still, qualification for the World Cup seems distant for China."

Yet the spirit remains strong. The media stated, "They did win at home. Football is truly amazing and great, but Chinese football owes an apology to its fans." They also noted that "the momentum at the end of this third qualifying round was immense. They could actually lead a new generation that drives the resurgence of Chinese football and qualifications for the World Cup."

Meanwhile, Brazilian legend Ronaldo also offered kind words regarding the misery of Chinese football. In an interview with Chinese Commissioner Huang Jianxiang, he responded to a question about China’s elimination from the World Cup, saying, "It will improve someday. It is currently a process of development."

Having met with Chinese journalists at the Club World Cup, Ronaldo praised the future of Chinese football, stating, "A man named Hugo, a table tennis singles champion, has emerged from Brazil. The same goes for Chinese football. If they don't give up, they can make it to the World Cup someday."

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