Chinese football fans and pundits were left disheartened following a disappointing home draw with Thailand, which jeopardized their country’s chances of advancing in the World Cup qualifiers. The 1-1 draw on Thursday in Shenyang, in front of a sell-out crowd of 47,000, was a significant setback for the team.
A victory would have secured China’s place in the final qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup. However, the Chinese team struggled throughout the match, missing a crucial penalty before Zhang Yuning salvaged a point with a goal 11 minutes from the end.
President Xi Jinping has previously expressed his ambition for China to win the World Cup. Yet, the national team has only qualified once, in 2002, where they lost all three games without scoring a goal. The state-run outlet, The Paper, reflected the nation’s disappointment, stating, “There is no blessed land or miracle in Chinese football.”
Fans voiced their frustration on social media platform Weibo, with one user lamenting, “There is no strategy, no coordination! It is a mess!”
China currently sits second in their group with eight points, trailing South Korea, who have already qualified. Thailand, with five points, is in third place. The top two teams advance to the next qualifying stage. China’s final group game is against South Korea, while Thailand will play against Singapore.
A loss to South Korea combined with a win for Thailand, who also need to make up the goal difference, could see China miss out. The Oriental Sports Daily expressed pessimism, stating, “It is only a matter of time before the World Cup dream ends.”
Despite China being in the driving seat and needing just a draw in Seoul to progress, the fans remain skeptical. One Weibo user sarcastically commented, “This is good, preparing for the 2030 World Cup in advance.” Another remarked, “Even landing on the Moon is not a problem,” referring to China’s lunar achievements, “Surprisingly the World Cup is still a problem
