China made its sole FIFA World Cup finals appearance in 2002, where they finished at the bottom of their group after losing all three matches. During this tournament, they conceded nine goals without scoring a single point of China vs Japan.
The Dragon Team advanced to the third round of AFC qualification by finishing second in their group during the second round, narrowly surpassing Thailand, who placed third. Both teams ended with eight points, but China secured progression thanks to a superior head-to-head record, marked by one win and one draw.
In February 2024, Branko Ivankovic took the helm as head coach and faced a tough challenge in the third-round group that included Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Indonesia.
After a difficult start—where China was defeated in their first three matches (7-0 to Japan, 2-1 to Saudi Arabia, and 3-1 to Australia)—Ivankovic’s squad rallied, achieving back-to-back victories. They triumphed over Indonesia with a score of 2-1 and edged Bahrain 1-0, climbing to fourth place in the group and keeping their hopes alive for a top-two finish that would ensure automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
Securing three points against Japan on Tuesday would significantly enhance China’s chances of qualification. However, they face a daunting task, as Japan is the strongest team in the group. Japan currently leads Group C, having won four matches and drawn one, totaling 13 points—seven points ahead of second-placed Australia—and showcasing an impressive goal record of 19 scored and only one conceded.
Although Hajime Moriyasu’s team experienced their first drop in points this October with a 1-1 draw against Australia, they bounced back in their most recent match with a commanding 4-0 victory over Indonesia. Now, Japan aims to take another step toward securing a spot in their eighth consecutive World Cup, having qualified for every tournament since they hosted in 2002.
China’s World Cup Qualifying – Asia Form:
Shangyuan Wang and Lei Li experienced injuries during China’s recent 1-0 victory against Bahrain, casting doubts on their availability for the upcoming match. Yuning Zhang, who has scored in both of China’s triumphs in Group C, is expected to start alongside Baihelamu Abuduwaili on Tuesday.
On the other side, Japan enjoyed a comfortable 4-0 win against Indonesia in their last outing, and Moriyasu may choose to field a similar lineup for this match China vs Japan.
Kyogo Furuhashi, who has been absent since scoring in a 2-0 win against Tunisia in October 2023, might also return to the starting XI.
Possible Starting Lineups:
China:
D Wang; Yang, Jiang, Zhu, Hu; Li, H Wang, Lin; Wei; Zhang, Abuduwaili
Japan:
Suzuki; Hashioka, Itakura, Machida; Doan, Endo, Morita, Mitoma; Minamino, Kamada; Furuhashi
