Focus: With the draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers just around the corner and fierce competition in the Asian zone, where does Chinese soccer go from here?
China expected to be among Asia's second stage as draw locked for late July
FIFA was scheduled to conduct the group draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers at the end of July, arranged by the organizing committee of the United States, Canada and Mexico. Chinese soccer is expected to emerge from the fierce competition in the Asian zone and is expected to advance to the second stage of the tournament.
Asia starts a year earlier, historical draw times compared
Looking back at previous World Cup qualifiers, the Asian zone has always been launched a year earlier than other continents. In the case of the 2015 World Cup qualifiers, for example, the Asian zone completed the group draws for the first and second phases in April, while FIFA's draws on other continents were held in December.
"Integration" of 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers with 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers
It is reported that the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers and the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers will be "integrated", that is, the two events of the qualifying rounds of the first stage and the second stage will be combined.
First phase of knockout rounds, uncertainty for Russia
The latest FIFA rankings show that the 22 teams at the bottom of the AFC's 47 member associations will be the first to play home and away knockout matches. Russia's participation in the Asian qualifiers is still up in the air, so it is not being considered for the time being.
National Football League's second-ranked entry, 36-team tournament system explained in detail
The 11 teams that win the first stage will advance to the second stage, where two teams will become third-tier teams and nine teams will become fourth-tier teams. The top 36 teams in Stage 2 are divided into nine groups of four teams each playing a home-and-away double round-robin tournament. The top two teams with the most points in each group will advance to the third stage of the 18-team tournament.
China ranked 11th in Asia, 24.66 points from ninth-placed Oman
According to the FIFA ranking, China is currently in 11th place in Asia with 1305.06 technical points. The difference in technical points between China and Oman, the ninth-ranked team in Asia, is 24.66 points, and they can only participate in the draw as the second-ranked team.
Draw classification and outlook for future fixtures
The second stage of the 36-team tournament has been finalized with China in the second slot. Going forward, China will face a number of key matches, including against opponents such as the Qatar World Cup team, Tajikistan, North Korea or Thailand.
Separation of the Top 18 from the Asian Qualifiers, where does Chinese soccer go from here?
If China can finish second in its group and qualify for the 36-team second stage, it will earn an early ticket to the 2027 Asian Cup and play in the 18-team third stage of the World Qualifying Tournament. Otherwise, China will have to fight for the 2027 Asian Cup ticket.
The situation is grim, Chinese soccer needs to rise to the occasion
For the current Chinese soccer, the situation is still serious. How to stand out in the fierce international competition has become a major challenge for Chinese soccer.
