The China national football team failed to escape the bottom of Group C in the Asian third qualifying round for the 2026 North and Central America World Cup after losing to Saudi Arabia on their away trip.
China lost 0-1 to Saudi Arabia in the seventh match of Group C of the Asian third qualifier, which was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at 3:15 a.m. on the 21st (Korean time).
In the early stages, China played a relatively stable game even on their away trip in the Middle East. However, the situation changed dramatically when midfielder Lin Liangming was sent off with a direct red card for a "violent kung fu kick" in the first half stoppage time.
China barely finished the first half at 0-0, but allowed a right-footed shot from Saudi striker Salem Al-Dosari just five minutes into the second half and conceded a goal.
With a numerical disadvantage, China struggled to create counterattack opportunities. Throughout the match, they recorded only three shots and failed to create a single shot on target. In contrast, Saudi Arabia attempted 19 shots (with 7 on target). Although they did not add another goal, they still secured a win at home.
With this defeat, China remained at the bottom of the group with 2 wins and 5 losses (6 points, goal difference -11). Both Indonesia and Bahrain, who also had the same points, lost, but China failed to rise in the rankings due to the goal difference.
Saudi Arabia rose to third place with 9 points (2 wins, 3 draws, 2 losses). They narrowed the gap to second-placed Australia (10 points) to just one point, keeping them within reach of the direct entry ticket for the finals awarded to the top two teams in the group.
In Group C, Japan secured at least second place and confirmed their entry into the finals with 19 points from 7 matches (6 wins, 1 draw). Australia and Saudi Arabia are competing for the remaining direct entry ticket. If they fail to secure second place, they will need to finish in the top four and aim for qualification through the fourth qualifying round.
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