This season, the most popular team in the Chinese Super League is undoubtedly Shanghai Harbour. After 23 rounds of fierce battles, they are leading the table with a 12-point advantage, and are about to hold the second league trophy in the team's history. Victory seemed to be within reach. However, the Chinese Super League team met an unexpected Waterloo in the international arena, where fans were eagerly waiting for!
In the just-concluded Asian Champions League playoff match between Shanghai Seaports and Thailand's Pathum United, Shanghai Seaports, sitting on their home turf, were defeated 2-3, regrettably ending up in the playoffs, making it a farce for Chinese soccer. The 2-3 loss not only ended Shanghai Seaports' AFC Champions League campaign early, but also pushed the Chinese men's soccer team into the limelight. If they want to return to the World Cup stage, they can only hope for a miracle!
For netizens concerned about global soccer, they may have heard that the 2026 World Cup will usher in major changes, with the number of participating teams increasing from 32 to 48, and AFC qualification directly doubling to a staggering 8.5. Therefore, many fans believe that 2026 will be the perfect opportunity for the Chinese men's soccer team to break through to Asia. By that time, it will only need to be among the top eight in Asia to earn a World Cup ticket. With the increase in the number of qualification places, the competition system of the Asian World Qualifying Tournament has also undergone a disruptive change. The 40-team tournament no longer exists, replaced by the 36-team tournament, the top two teams in each group can directly advance to the final 18!
In the previous group draw, the Chinese men's soccer team had slightly bad luck, being grouped with South Korea, Thailand, Singapore and Guam. Given the formidable strength of the South Korean team, the Chinese men's soccer team was almost impossible to contend with, so our main opponent in the qualifying round was actually a third-ranked team from Thailand. When it comes to Thailand, old fans will naturally recall this old rival of Asian soccer. The Chinese team has played Thailand many times, with a record of 3 wins, 1 draw and 3 losses, and does not occupy any advantage.
The Asian Champions League clash between Shanghai Harbour and Pathum United is also seen as a preview of the World Cup qualifier between the Chinese men's soccer team and Thailand. Both teams have six international players, all from their respective national teams. However, Shanghai Seaport lost 2-3 with the home side and Brazilian ex-international Oscar in the lineup. As a result, the Chinese men's soccer team's path to promotion was overshadowed. In this match, the head coach of the national soccer team, Jankovic, traveled to Shanghai to scout the players on the spot and get a feel for the strength of the Thai team. However, he witnessed a humiliating defeat. For Jankovic, leading the team to break through the top 36 is already considered a mission accomplished, and a return to the World Cup seems to be only a distant dream!
Finally, I wish the Chinese men's soccer team a speedy rise!
