World Qualifying Round (WQR)
Asian region
Top 18
The draw for the tournament has been announced and the Chinese men's soccer team has been drawn in the
Group C
, playing in the same group as Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Indonesia.
Under the rules of the tournament, the 18 teams will be divided into three groups of six teams each playing a home and away double round robin for a total of 10 matches. The top two teams in each group (6 teams) will advance directly to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico, while the 3rd and 4th place teams (6 teams) will advance to the next round of qualifying for the final 2.5 World Cup berths.
In addition, the 3rd and 4th place teams from the 18-team tournament will be divided into two groups for the play-offs, with each group playing a single round-robin event, and the top group will advance directly to the World Cup.
For the Chinese team, being placed in such a strong Group C will be a great challenge and pressure. Their first match will be against their historic rivals, Japan, and this match will be the center of attention. The Chinese team will have to do their best in this "Group of Death" to earn every point and secure their World Cup qualification as soon as possible.
