As the dust settles from the World Cup Qualifying Tournament (the first round of qualifiers), the lineups of the participating teams are basically clear. China's opponents will be South Korea, Thailand and Singapore. After a total of six rounds of home and away matches, the top and bottom teams in each group will win tickets to the next stage (the third round), while the third and fourth-placed teams will say goodbye to the tournament early and start to build up their strength for the 2030 FIFA World Cup. (! [First Round Match Map](https://www.ballti.com/UploadFiles/163img/202310/2023603910810180457281580.jpg))
Round 2: The schedule is set up to be tested.
As the second round draws near, the Top 36 competition for the Top 18 is about to begin. The tournament spans nearly six months, with the first match set for mid-November when the Chinese soccer team hosts Thailand. The final match will be in mid-June when South Korea hosts the Tigers. Looking at the schedule, China and South Korea will undoubtedly be the strongest rivals in the group. The two teams are scheduled to meet in the second and sixth rounds respectively, which is obviously a big challenge for the Chinese team.
(! [Second Round Schedule Map](https://www.ballti.com/UploadFiles/163img/202310/2023650658410180457281580.jpg))
Especially since China had to face South Korea within five days of playing Thailand in the first round, the adjustment time was too hasty. In the sixth round, we will play South Korea again. If we fail to accumulate enough points previously, this match will become crucial. Therefore, it will be a great test not only for Yankovic's coaching team, but also for relatively weak opponents such as Thailand and Singapore.
Round 3: Top two advance through to the next level
The third round of the tournament will be played among the top 18 teams in the Asian zone, and according to the new rules, there will be 48 teams participating in the tournament, and the number of places in the Asian zone has been increased from 5.5 in the past to 8.5. Despite the adjustments to the schedule, winning is king, and the Chinese men's soccer team will have to go all out to get as many points as possible if they want to advance.
If they advance to the third round, the top 18 in Asia, they will be divided into three groups for the tournament. The top two teams from each group will qualify directly for the World Cup, while the third and fourth place finishers from the three groups will advance to the fourth round of the World Cup.
Round 4: The Final Showdown
In the fourth round, the six teams will be divided into two groups for a single round-robin tournament. The two eliminated teams will advance directly, while the other two will have to play play-offs against other continental teams, which will be much more difficult. According to the FIFA standings, China and South Korea are expected to break through the second round and qualify for the third round. If they get a better grouping, China's chances of qualifying for the World Cup will be greatly improved. However, if they are eliminated in the third round, the chance of entering the fourth round will be very slim.
