China's World Cup Hopes Dim After Saudi Arabia Defeat

The Chinese national football team suffered a 1-0 defeat against Saudi Arabia in Riyadh early Friday morning, Beijing time. This loss places the Chinese team at the bottom of their six-team group with six points, significantly hindering their chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

The first half proved particularly challenging for China. Jiang Guangtai was forced off the field due to injury and was replaced by Han Pengfei. Shortly after, Lin Liangming received a red card for a high tackle. In the 50th minute, Salem Al-Dawsari scored the decisive goal for Saudi Arabia.

China now finds itself behind Japan, Australia, and Saudi Arabia in the group standings. They are currently tied with Indonesia and Bahrain, both also holding six points. To qualify for the World Cup, China needs a positive result against Australia in their upcoming home match in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. They will likely also need to win their remaining two matches against Bahrain and Indonesia.

The top two teams in the group will automatically qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The third and fourth-placed teams will advance to further rounds of qualification. Japan has already secured their spot in the World Cup, becoming the first team to qualify after the host nations.