The Chinese national football team lost to Saudi Arabia in an away match, failing to escape the bottom of Group C in the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 North and Central America World Cup. The situation is being acknowledged in China as well.

On the 21st at 3:15 a.m. (Korea time), China lost 0-1 to Saudi Arabia in the seventh match of Group C in the Asian qualifiers for the World Cup held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In the early stages, China showed relatively stable performance even on the Middle Eastern away match. However, the situation drastically changed when midfielder Lin Liangming received a direct red card for a 'murderous kung fu kick' during one minute of stoppage time in the first half.

China barely ended the first half with a score of 0-0, but just five minutes into the second half, they allowed a right-foot shot from Saudi striker Salem Al-Dawsari in the penalty area, resulting in a goal.

With a numerical disadvantage, China struggled to find opportunities for a counterattack. Throughout the match, they recorded only three shots and failed to create any on-target shots. In contrast, Saudi Arabia attempted 19 shots (7 on target). Although they did not score additional goals, they secured a victory at home.

With this loss, China remained at the bottom of the group with a record of 2 wins and 5 losses (6 points, goal difference -11). Although Indonesia and Bahrain, who had the same points, both lost, China failed to rise in the standings due to the goal difference.

Saudi Arabia rose to third place with 9 points (2 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses). They narrowed the gap to 1 point with second-placed Australia (10 points) and remained within reach of direct qualification for the World Cup finals, which is awarded to the top two teams in the group.

In Group C, Japan secured at least second place with 19 points (6 wins, 1 draw) after 7 matches, clinching qualification for the finals. Australia and Saudi Arabia are engaged in a fierce competition for the remaining direct qualification spot. If China fails to finish in second place, they must aim for the finals again by finishing in the top four and going through the fourth round of qualifiers.

Chinese media Sohu.com noted after the match, "China fell to the bottom of the group after losing to Saudi Arabia," expressing disappointment, and stated, "Before this match, China had lost to Japan 1-3, and the atmosphere had been dampened. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia also faced difficulties by losing to Indonesia 0-2. Both teams desperately needed a victory, but China couldn't earn points due to their numerical disadvantage and defensive collapse."

"China showed the worst performance. Key defender Zhang Guangtai was injured and left the match, and Lin Liangming received a red card before the end of the first half. Possession was limited to 20%, and there were only 3 attempts at shots, with no shots on target. If it weren't for goalkeeper Wang Dalei's saves, the score could have been worse. However, how many goals China conceded is no longer an important issue, as the goal difference with competitors has already widened significantly," they added.

They acknowledged that direct qualification for the World Cup finals is essentially difficult for China. Sohu.com predicted, "With 3 matches remaining in the (third round), it has become virtually impossible for China to rise to second place in the group."

On the 25th, China will face Australia at home. Australia is in a fierce competition with Saudi Arabia for second place, making them highly motivated. Meanwhile, China will miss Wang Shangyuan due to accumulated yellow cards, and Lin Liangming will also be unavailable. The possibility of Zhang Guangtai recovering from injury is slim. Australia is riding a wave of momentum after winning their last match 5-1, making it predominately analyzed that China's chances of winning are low.

Later in June, China will clash with Indonesia and Bahrain.

Sohu.com projected, "China's future hinges on the matches against Indonesia and Bahrain." For China to maintain hope, they must secure at least 4 points in these two games. If they lose the away match against Indonesia, China could be eliminated before their final game," it explained.

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