The 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico: a new opportunity for China's men's soccer team to make a comeback
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup draws nearer, the expansion of FIFA's footprint has increased the number of Asian teams to 8.5, significantly increasing the chances of the Chinese men's soccer team making it to the World Cup. Fans are eagerly awaiting the return of the Chinese men's soccer team to the World Cup stage with a new attitude. Since the 2001 World Cup in Korea and Japan, the Chinese men's soccer team has been missing out on the World Cup for 22 years.
FIFA has provided this rare opportunity for the Chinese men's soccer team, however, in terms of the current strength of the team, it is not easy to seize this opportunity. The Football Association has announced the 24-man squad for the World Qualifiers, in which the naturalized player Eckerson was cut, while Kang Kwang-tae, Li Ke and other pedigree naturalized players made the cut. Some fans believe that Song Kai's leadership style is more inclined to let the Chinese team show the real soccer style, after all, each leader has its unique management philosophy.
It is well known that naturalized players are often superior to local players in terms of physical quality and soccer talent. Despite the national football team's interest in naturalization, some fans are concerned that their performance may decline as a result. Surprisingly, Shanghai Port naturalized player Jiang Guangtai suddenly withdrew due to injury before training, which made him miss the first two rounds of the 36-team tournament. Meanwhile, the national soccer team recruited Shenzhen defender Xu Haofeng to join the training. Inexplicably, the Shenzhen team has been relegated to the Central League, and Jankovic's recruitment strategy has sparked heated debate among fans.
Many fans have teased that Yang Kovic's time as head coach of the national soccer team may not be long. Yang's coaching ability has been called into question by the Chinese men's soccer team's performance in recent warm-up matches, with consecutive draws or defeats against Malaysia, Syria, and Uzbekistan, which have left fans doubly disappointed. For Yang Kovic, leading the team to the first match of the World Qualifying Tournament in Thailand will be crucial, and if they lose, the initiative to qualify will be in jeopardy.
As a result, fans have speculated that Jankovic could be fired. Meanwhile, some voices believe that Shandong Taishan coach Cui Kangxi is more suitable to take charge of the Chinese men's soccer coach. Cui Kangxi's performance in Shandong Taishan has been remarkable, even though he lost to Shanghai Port in the Super League, he showed great strength in the AFC Champions League by doubling up in the South Korean ball Incheon League.
Shandong Taishan got off to a bad start this season, with coach Hao Wei arrested on suspicion of match-fixing, players also under investigation, and assistant coaches leading the team to a loss. Cui Kangxi was appointed in the face of danger and showed excellent coaching ability, and is expected to succeed Yang Kovic as the new coach of the Chinese men's soccer team.
If the Chinese men's soccer team wants to enter the 2026 World Cup, training new players is a top priority. Currently, the strength of the international players is not optimistic, and the performance of players such as Wei Shihao on the pitch is even more controversial. Wei Shihao was red-carded for maliciously stepping on an opponent against Hanoi FC in the AFC Champions League, sparking discontent among Vietnamese media and Chinese fans. Many fans called for Wei's dismissal, arguing that his presence was detrimental to the team's performance.
Those who watch football know that Wei Shihao has been given red cards many times and has repeatedly discredited Chinese soccer with his emotional control problems on the pitch. Many fans have spat that such players should be expelled from the national team, they have limited ability but bring a lot of trouble to the team.
