[The Chinese team strives for the fourth place in the group and participates in the fourth stage of the competition]
At 15 p.m. on June 27, 2024, the group draw ceremony for the round of 18 of the third phase of the 2026 US-Canada-Mexico World Cup Qualifiers will be held at the AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. The Chinese team entered Group C with Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Indonesia.
The round of 18 will run home and away from September 2024 to June 2025, with the top two teams from the three groups qualifying directly for the World Cup. The teams that finish third and fourth will enter the fourth stage of the competition, where they will be divided into two groups of three teams to play a single round-robin match, with the top two groups advancing to the World Cup and the two group runners-up going to the play-offs, with the winners from other continents deciding the final World Cup spot.
In the last 2022 World Cup qualifiers (round of 12), the Chinese team was in a group with Japan, Australia, and Saudi Arabia. The results are: Australia 3-0 China, China 0-1 Japan, Saudi Arabia 3-2 China, China 1-1 Australia, Japan 2-0 China, China 1-1 Saudi Arabia. China only managed two draws, and in the end, Japan, Australia, and Saudi Arabia all participated in the 2022 World Cup.
With the current state, the realistic goal of the Chinese team is to strive for the fourth place in the group and participate in the fourth stage of the competition. The Chinese team must win Bahrain and Indonesia at home; Away draw at least Bahrain and Indonesia. If you want to finish fourth in the group, these eight points are a must. On this basis, try to draw at least two games at home against Japan, Australia, and Saudi Arabia, and get two points. With a total of 10 points, there should be hope in the fight for fourth place in the group.
I hope that the Chinese team will maintain an optimistic attitude and actively strive for good results.
