China's sixth consecutive failure to qualify for the World Cup is looming. Thus, they are spinning another happiness circuit. However, realistically, it seems like a futile dream.

China's 'Sohu' reported on the 27th (Korean time), "A major reversal! Australia violated the rules. If the Chinese national football team successfully appeals, they will secure a 3-0 forfeiture victory, moving up from last place to fourth."

The Chinese national team suffered a complete defeat, losing 0-2 to Australia in the 8th match of the third round of qualifiers for the 2026 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup in North and Central America, held on the 25th at the Hangzhou Sports Park Stadium in Hangzhou, China. Veteran goalkeeper Wang Dalei made a fatal mistake, letting the rolling ball slip between his legs.

With this loss, China fell to a losing streak of three games and failed to escape last place. They remain at 6 points with 2 wins and 6 losses. While they have the same points as fifth-place Bahrain, they are significantly lagging behind in goal difference, trailing Bahrain by -13 goals to -8.

As a result, China's chances of directly qualifying for the World Cup have completely vanished. If their opportunity to qualify for the World Cup fails, it will mark their sixth consecutive failure. Since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, China has not been able to step onto the World Cup stage even once.

However, hope still remains. This tournament has increased the number of allocated tickets for Asia to 8.5. If China can defeat Indonesia and Bahrain in their remaining matches and finish in the top four, they can advance to the fourth round of qualifiers. The away match against Indonesia is expected to be the biggest hurdle.

In the meantime, a somewhat shocking claim has emerged. There is a possibility that Australia could face a forfeiture penalty due to fielding an ineligible player. Sohu reported, "Suddenly, news has come that has greatly excited fans. It is said that Australia may have violated player eligibility regulations."

The player accused of violating regulations is Cameron Burgess, a center-back born in 1995 (Ipswich Town). Chinese media outlet 'Xiaoniu Sports' has claimed that Burgess could be problematic because he played for the Scottish youth national team in October 2013.

If Burgess's participation truly becomes an issue, China's loss to Australia could be changed to a 3-0 victory, allowing them to jump to fourth place. This is essentially China's last hope.

In China, there have been quick discussions about the need to file an appeal with FIFA. Sohu noted, "Many fans have suggested that the Chinese national team collect information as quickly as possible and submit an appeal to FIFA for confirmation. This is because there are similar past cases. In the past, the Equatorial Guinea Football Federation and related players have been punished by FIFA."

Chinese fans are also engaging in heated discussions. According to Sohu, fans have commented, "If it really has an effect, direct qualification would be impossible, but reaching the fourth round of qualifiers is almost certain," "Thank you for the efforts to try every possible means for the 3 points," and "Whether it's true or not, we must seriously look into it."

Conversely, there are critical comments like, "Even if it results in a forfeiture, qualifying for the finals is impossible," "It’s disgraceful to spread such rumors every time you lose," and "Don’t cause a scandal."

Contrary to China's hopes, it seems unlikely that Burgess's participation will lead to a forfeiture for Australia. He holds dual nationality with Australia and Scotland, but he has not played in A-matches representing Scotland. His experience with youth national teams does not pose any problems for representing another country.

Above all, Burgess has already represented Australia in 11 A-matches. He has chosen to play for the Australian national team since September 2023 and also participated in the 2023 Asian Cup. It seems unlikely that FIFA, which has not raised issues until now, will suddenly impose sanctions.

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