China's soccer team drops to 94th in FIFA ranking, worst in a decade

Chinese football is in shock. It has now fallen behind Syria, which it once viewed as inferior.

NetEase reported on the 28th (Korean time) that "the national team's International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) ranking has hit its lowest point in 10 years! The FIFA ranking is important as it will determine the drawing positions for the upcoming Asian Cup and World Cup qualifiers."

The national team suffered a 0-2 defeat against Australia in the 8th match of Group C in the 3rd round of qualifying for the 2026 International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) North and Central America World Cup held at the Hangzhou Sports Park Stadium in Hangzhou, China, on the 25th. Veteran goalkeeper Wang Dalei made a critical mistake, letting the rolling ball slip between his legs.

As a result, China has fallen into a three-game losing streak and has failed to escape last place. With 2 wins and 6 losses, they remain at 6 points. They have the same points as 5th place Bahrain, but are significantly behind on goal difference with -13 compared to Bahrain's -8.

Ultimately, China's chances of direct qualification for the World Cup have completely evaporated. If their World Cup qualification is thwarted, it will mark the sixth consecutive failure to reach the finals. China has not participated in the finals since the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

China has finished both matches of the March A-series with losses. On the 21st, they lost 0-1 in an away match against Saudi Arabia at King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh.

The dismissal of Lin Liangming, a youth product of Real Madrid, was critical. China spent the game on the back foot against Saudi Arabia, but held on thanks to Wang Dalei's saves. Although Saudi Arabia found the net, the goal was canceled due to a handball foul.

However, a major incident occurred during first-half stoppage time. Lin Liangming was sent off with a direct red card for a dangerous tackle after raising his foot too high. He performed a "kung fu kick" towards the head of Hassan Kadeshi, who was attempting a header, and the referee promptly showed the red card. Kadeshi, who suffered a blow to the chest after being struck in the face, was also carried off on a stretcher and replaced.

Now down to 10 players, China could no longer endure. Just 5 minutes into the second half, they conceded a goal to Salem Al-Dawsari, who shot with his right foot in front of the goal. In the 70th minute, they narrowly avoided conceding another goal, as it was canceled due to offside. Ultimately, China managed only 3 shots and 0 shots on target throughout the 90 minutes, succumbing in defeat.

Unable to end their losing streak, China's FIFA ranking has fallen by 4 places. NetEase cited journalist Han Bing's report stating, "The national team is now ranked 94th in the FIFA rankings. They have even allowed Syria to overtake them, dropping from 13th to 14th in Asia. This is the worst ranking for the national team in the last 10 years."

Additionally, the media noted that "China's FIFA ranking points have plummeted by 13.64 points due to consecutive losses against Saudi Arabia and Australia. They were narrowly overtaken by Syria, who defeated Pakistan in the Asian Cup qualifiers," adding that "in the 3rd round of qualifiers, China has recorded 6 losses against Japan, Australia, and Saudi Arabia. A drop in ranking points was inevitable."

The decline in FIFA ranking could lead to disadvantages in future tournaments. NetEase pointed out that "this is not just a matter of face. China has been assigned to the 5th seed in the World Cup qualifiers due to poor performance. As a result, they began facing strong teams. If they do not place within the top 12 in Asia ahead of the 2027 Saudi Asian Cup, they will continue to receive the 3rd seed. They will also likely be assigned to the 5th seed in the 2030 World Cup Asian qualifiers, just like this time."

As a result, there are calls for China to secure points against strong teams. During Marcello Lippi's tenure, they managed to draw against Saudi Arabia and Australia, indicating that there are no guaranteed losses.

The media emphasized that "China may now even be surpassed by Thailand" and stated, "Efforts must be made to secure points against strong teams to improve their ranking in Asia. This is to boost morale, as well as to secure a better position in the Asian Cup and World Cup qualifiers."

However, the response from Chinese fans has been icy. One fan lamented, "The ranking is already too high. Based on real skill, they belong outside the top 100," while another fan sighed, "They should originally be below 100." Opinions like "What difference does it make to emphasize something one lacks skill in?" also surfaced.

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