On August 23, 2024, the Chinese men's national football team assembled in Dalian to officially begin preparations for their upcoming challenge away to Japan in the first round of the 18-team tournament. Just as the national players were pressing on with their training, they were greeted with an exciting piece of good news:
FIFA
A formal letter was sent to the AFC and the teams announcing the cancellation of their participation in this year's
World Qualifying Round (WQR)
earned by all players during the second stage of the 36-team tournament
(sport) violation warning sign
Record. The decision has undoubtedly injected a shot in the arm for China's preparations, easing the players' worries about the risk of yellow card suspensions during the tournament.
Previously, the AFC had proposed a motion to FIFA to abolish the yellow card record in the 36-team stage of the tournament to ensure fairness and consistency. After consideration, FIFA finally agreed to the AFC's proposal. This decision is a positive sign for all teams participating in the 18-team tournament, meaning that players can focus more on the game itself without worrying too much about suspensions resulting from the accumulation of yellow cards.
According to statistics, the Chinese team has received one red card and 17 yellow cards in the 36-team stage of the tournament. In addition to Li Yuanyi, who was automatically suspended for one game for his red card and was given an additional one-game suspension, and Wu Lei, who missed the match against Thailand due to the accumulation of two yellow cards, there were 15 players who carried one yellow card each. These include Yang Zexiang, Xu Haoyang, Xie Wenneng, Baihe Lamu, Zhang Yuning, Zhu Chenjie, Jiang Shenglong, Wang Dalei, Wang Shangyuan, and nine other players who were selected for the Dalian training program this time. Now, these nine players can play more freely against Japan without having to worry about missing the next home game after receiving a yellow card.
In addition, the yellow card records of six players within the training roster, including Fang Hao, Wang Zhen'ao, Gao Tianyi, Li Ke, Zhang Linpeng, and Wu Xi, will also be canceled, further enhancing the squad's depth and tactical flexibility. This decision is undoubtedly a major positive for the Chinese men's national soccer team, allowing the team to meet the competition with Japan with a more complete lineup and a more confident mindset.
