In the fierce competition of Asian soccer, the Chinese team both against those who succeeded in advancing to Qatar
World Cup
teams, or teams that failed to set foot on the threshold of the tournament, have all made warm-up plans. For example, Uzbekistan, Bahrain and Jordan, which are currently ranked slightly below China in the world rankings, will commit to the 2023
Asian cup (e.g. soccer)
The third round of the qualifiers is a heated battle. If they are able to come out on top, they will significantly increase their world ranking points, and may even overtake the Chinese team by jumping up in points. If China's world ranking within Asia drops to 12th, then the team will have to compete as a third-tier team in the
Asian cup (e.g. soccer)
In the main round, the probability of meeting a tough opponent in the group stage will then be significantly higher, and the challenge of advancing or achieving a good result will also be significantly higher.
in 2023
Asian cup (e.g. soccer)
With the expansion to 16 teams, the top two teams from six groups and the third best team from four groups will advance to the round of 16. Given the overall strength of the Chinese team, the possibility of breaking through in the group stage should not be underestimated. However, if they advance to the third place in the group, the chances of encountering strong teams such as Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Qatar in the 1/8 finals will be greatly increased.
It is worth noting that if 2023 is held in June-July next year as planned, after the tournament is over, the teams will be non-stop in the competition for the 2026 World Qualifying Tournament in Asia. At that time, the grouping of teams will be based on the latest world rankings. If the Chinese team is in the
Asian cup (e.g. soccer)
The performance of the team was not as good as it could have been, then this will have a negative impact on the performance of the World Qualifiers that cannot be ignored.
Up to now, about the national football team's next preparation plan and the head coach Li Xiaopeng's question of retention, the official has not yet given a clear answer. In the face of more severe competition situation in the future, the Chinese team obviously need to start a new cycle of preparation work.
