Despite being outranked in almost every metric of the game by the Samurai Blue, Team China refuses to give up fighting, as it heads to Japan to kick off the third stage of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. When the Chinese men's team lines up against the continental powerhouse at the Saitama Stadium 2002 on Thursday, it will be very much the underdog. Japan has 20 players on its roster currently plying their trade in elite European leagues, while China has none. The overall estimated market value of the Japanese roster has exceeded 276 million euros ($305 million), about 25 times that of Team China, according to German website transfermarkt.com.
Japan is currently ranked 18th, as Asia's top side, by FIFA, whereas China sits way back at No 87 in the world and 13th in Asia. Team China's last win over Japan dates as far back as 1998. Since then, over the past 26 years, it has lost eight times in all 14 encounters against its neighbor.
It's safe to say that Team China will open the new qualifying round in the hardest possible way, yet the team has vowed to at least put up a fight. And it has to, should the underachieving program still harbor a slim hope of reaching FIFA's marquee tournament again, following its sole appearance at the 2002 event hosted by Japan and South Korea.
"Japan is already a world-class team. We are lagging far behind them on paper for sure. But, it doesn't mean that we should just give up," Wu Lei, Team China's leading scorer of the current qualifying campaign, said after the squad's final training session in Dalian, Liaoning province, on Sunday. "Each of us cherishes the opportunity to compete in the final-18 stage very much. It will be a great test for us. We will definitely give everything and at least put up a fight. We'll see where we go from there," said Wu, who's scored five goals across five qualifiers.
After advancing as a lucky survivor from the last pool stage, thanks to a thin head-to-head edge over its second-round group opponent Thailand, Team China was drawn into a "group of death" with Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Indonesia in the third stage. Only the top two from each of the three six-team groups in this phase secure direct qualification berths for the 2026 Cup finals, which will be jointly held by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The chances of Team China securing a direct ticket are pretty slim at this stage, given the vast difference in quality between the mighty trio of Japan, Australia and Saudi Arabia — that all made it to the 2022 tournament in Qatar — and the rest of the pool. Sharpening its young roster with 10 quality home-and-away drills, while trying to keep its qualifying hopes alive into the fourth round as one of the best fourth-placed sides seems a more practical goal for Branko Ivankovic's side.
In the fourth phase, known as the continental playoffs, the six teams that finish third and fourth respectively in the third stage will be split into two groups in October next year, with only the winners of each group guaranteed the final two spots at the 2026 Cup finals. To stay alive a year from now, Team China has to stand its ground against Japan in Saitama on Thursday, and at home against Saudi Arabia on Sept 10.
"Of course, we did a lot of preparations for Japan, especially in defense. We are expecting a tough time, but we will hold our lines as strong as we can," defensive midfielder Wang Shangyuan said at the team's 10-day training camp in Dalian. "Physically and mentally, all of our players are in good shape. We are ready to deploy a firm defense and help each other," he said.
Coached by Croatian tactician Ivankovic, Team China's resilient and tenacious performance in a narrow 1-0 away defeat to group leader South Korea in its final second-stage match in June served up encouraging signs that it might be able to contain the aggressive Japanese side as well. However, after sailing through the last stage with six straight wins, Japan poses an even more daunting challenge for Ivankovic's men, having netted 24 goals while conceding none.
The speedster's return is a timely boost for Japan, who look to avoid the disastrous start they had to the 2022 World Cup final-round qualifiers when they lost two of the first three matches, including the opener. A regular World Cup participant, Japan stunned Spain and Germany to reach the round-of-16 in Qatar and has a European-based core, bolstered by star winger Kaoru Mitoma and midfielder Wataru Endo of English Premier League clubs Brighton and Liverpool, respectively.
Ivankovic, however, remains upbeat that the side can return to Dalian from Saitama unscathed. "We're not going to go into any game with our hands up. We have hope, and we will stick to our plan and to try to make it happen no matter what," he said in an earlier interview with national broadcaster China Central Television.
Standing alongside veteran striker Wu and midfielder Wang, three naturalized players — namely Brazilian-born attacking combo Alan and Fei Nanduo (aka Fernando), and England-born centerback Jiang Guangtai (Tyias Browning) — are expected to help provide a variety, depth and intensity that Ivankovic will lean on to pull off the challenge. In his last international match against Japan, the Croatian guided a brave Oman side to a thrilling 1-0 win over the Japanese in an Asian qualifier for the 2022 World Cup.
Japan winger Junya Ito was raring to go on his national team return as the 27-man Samurai Blue squad geared up toward the upcoming final round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, starting at home against China on Thursday. The 31-year-old Reims player was named in Hajime Moriyasu's squad last week for the first time since prosecutors declined to bring charges against him for nonconsensual sexual acts after accusations prompted his Asian Cup withdrawal in February.
The Japan Football Association said upon their latest squad announcement that Ito's recall was unrelated to his not being indicted. "I'm really happy and want to contribute to the team," Ito said after training with his teammates on Tuesday. "I was relieved. I understand that until this was resolved there would have been some difficulties (calling me up)." Ito lodged a criminal complaint on Aug. 1 against five individuals, including two women and an editor of the weekly Shukan Shincho, for alleged defamation. Due to a lack of evidence, prosecutors on Aug. 9 decided not to indict Ito over a criminal complaint regarding the incident alleged to have happened in June last year involving the women.
Ito appreciated manager Moriyasu for staying in contact with him even while he was not getting selected. "He's been keeping in touch, telling me each time that 'I'm not picking you this time because I want to protect you.' I understood it too," Ito said. Ito came to his country's rescue back then, scoring in four straight games to get his side back on track. "We made it difficult for ourselves (last time). We'll look to win soundly from the first game this time and begin the campaign in good form," Ito said.
SAITAMA, Japan, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The China men's football team head coach Branko Ivankovic stressed the key to play against Japan is to carry out the plan on the field and show their determination to fight in the pre-match press conference for the final stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifier here on Wednesday. Ivankovic spoke highly of their opponents, stating that Japan is an excellent team with many outstanding players. As a coach, he has followed Japanese football for almost 30 years, dating back to the 1998 World Cup.
The last time two teams faced each other in a World Cup qualification was during the final stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifier, where China lost to Japan 0-1 and 0-2. Now, both sides are eager to secure a strong start in the opening match. "Anything can happen in the football game. We have prepared well before the match. When facing such a strong team, the key is to carry out what we have practised and show our passion for the game. We are definitely here to fight," said Ivankovic.
China's star forward Wu Lei expressed his anticipation for the match, acknowledging that the opponent is strong but emphasizing the Chinese team is in good physical and mental shape. "We have studied Japan's style of play through numerous training sessions and match videos. Since we're here, we won't give up easily. I hope we can deliver an exciting match tomorrow," Wu Lei said.
He also pointed out that many players on the team are participating in such an important match for the first time, which is a valuable experience for them. He encouraged young Chinese players to take the step playing abroad, as it will bring enhancement when they return to play for the national team.
Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu appeared cautious, especially given that Japan suffered a surprising defeat in the first game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifier's final stage three years ago. During the pre-match press conference, he stated that even though Japan has made significant progress in last three years, the team must respect their opponent and make sure everyone is in peak condition to deliver their best performance.
Japanese team's captain, Wataru Endo, noted that Ivankovic is a coach who has thoroughly analyzed Japan, and the team needs to be prepared for any tactical adjustments from China. The first leg match between China and Japan will take place on Thursday at Saitama Stadium 2002 in Japan. ■
Brighton's in-form Kaoru Mitoma returned to the Japan squad on Thursday as Hajime Moriyasu's side eye an eighth straight appearance at the World Cup. Japan face China at home on September 5 and Bahrain away five days later to start the decisive third round of Asian qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
The 27-year-old winger Mitoma has not featured for Japan since the Asian Cup in Qatar in January, where injury restricted him to two substitute appearances. He was ruled out for the rest of last season after he returned to Brighton but he has started the new campaign in good form with one goal and one assist in his side's perfect start.
Japan coach Moriyasu wants his team to make a fast start to the third qualifying round. "They will be tough games but we have to go into them with a winning mindset and prepare well for each one," he said. "We want to maximise our potential and give everything in these games." Japan have also been drawn with Australia, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia in a tough Group C.
The top two teams qualify automatically for the finals, with the third and fourth-placed sides going into a further round of qualifying. Mitoma is joined in the squad by three other Premier League players in Liverpool's Wataru Endo, Crystal Palace's Daichi Kamada and Southampton's Yukinari Sugawara.
There was also a recall for Reims winger Junya Ito, who has not featured since he left the Asian Cup squad after a Japanese magazine published allegations that he sexually assaulted two women in a hotel in Osaka last year. Japanese prosecutors dropped charges against the player earlier this month and he has denied any wrongdoing. Moriyasu had previously said he had not subsequently called up Ito to "protect" him.
The coach said the time was right to bring him back into the fold. "The player and the team have to be able to work in an environment where they can focus on their football, and up until now I doubted that would be the case," he said. Former captain Makoto Hasebe was invited to join the squad as a coach for the games against China and Bahrain. Hasebe retired from playing aged 40 at the end of last season and is working as a coach with German side Eintracht Frankfurt's under-21 team.
The third round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup kicks off this week, and while Japan’s chances of missing out on a place at the expanded 48-team tournament are vanishingly slim, it will be keen to avoid similar slipups to those experienced in its opening games at this qualifying stage for the last two FIFA showpieces. Samurai Blue lost 1-0 at home to Oman three years ago, and also went down 2-1 to the UAE in front of their own fans in their maiden third-round qualifier for the 2018 tournament in Russia.
On each of those occasions, Japan did recover to secure a smooth passage to the main competition, and with eight full World Cup slots now available for AFC countries it would take an absolute catastrophe for Hajime Moriyasu’s men to miss out on the next edition, which will be held in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. Captain Wataru Endo has urged Japan to use the frustration of their failed Asian Cup campaign to fire them to the 2026 World Cup, starting against China on Thursday.
Japan are the continent's highest-ranked side but the favourites flopped at the Asian Cup in Qatar at the start of the year, losing to Iran in the quarter-finals. They also made hard work of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, opening the third round with a shock home defeat to Oman and losing early on away to Saudi Arabia. Japan kick off the third qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup against China in Saitama and Liverpool midfielder Endo believes they have the quality to make a strong start.
"We remember losing the opening game of the World Cup qualifiers last time and we also have the frustration from the Asian Cup," said Endo, who was linked with a move away from Anfield during the summer. "We know it's not easy, but we don't want to concentrate too much on negative things. We want to be positive." Japan have also been drawn with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Australia in a tricky-looking Group C.
The top two are guaranteed a place at the World Cup, with the third and fourth-placed sides going into a further round of qualifying. Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu welcomes back Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma, who has not played for his country since the Asian Cup because of injury. Moriyasu can also call on winger Junya Ito, who has not featured since he left the Asian Cup squad after a Japanese magazine published allegations that he sexually assaulted two women in a hotel in Osaka last year.
Japanese prosecutors dropped charges against the player earlier this month and he has denied any wrongdoing. "Both of them are big weapons for the Japan team, no doubt about it," said Moriyasu. "But it's not just their qualities in attack. They also defend well and work hard for the team." China squeezed into the third qualifying round thanks to a superior head-to-head record over Thailand and have only reached the World Cup once, in 2002.
Their Croatian coach Branko Ivankovic acknowledged that Japan were one of the best teams in Asia but said "everything is possible". "I think the most important thing is whether we can play the way we have been playing in training," he said. "We need to have a brave heart in this game."
