Will China play in FIFA World Cup 2026?

China is ranked 93rd in the FIFA World Rankings.

The whole football community worldwide, including football fans in the People’s Republic of China, is excited about the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw. Every Chinese football fan wonders if their nation will be taking part in the global showcase of the game’s biggest stars.

The Chinese national football team will not play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup after failing to qualify, leaving the prospect of an appearance in 2025 moot. Dragon Team’s campaign in the Asian qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup ended with a 1-0 loss to the Indonesian national football team, which mathematically eliminated them from contention in early June.

China’s run in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers

China entered the final round of Asian qualifying for the expanded 48-team World Cup with hopes of returning to the global stage, for the first time since their lone appearance in 2002. However, a combination of inconsistent form, defensive lapses and key losses in the third round games undid those hopes of making an appearance in the prestigious tournament.

The team finished bottom of Group C with just six points from nine games, locking in a goal difference of –13, the worst in their group. The Dragon Team’s head coach, Branko Ivanković, had shouldered the blame while acknowledging that despite attempts to rejuvenate the squad, results did not transpire as the team had hoped.

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Loss against Indonesia was a hammer blow

The loss to Indonesia was particularly damning; a first-half penalty conceded in the 45th minute sealed the Dragon Team’s fate, as Ole Romeny slotted home to give the hosts the advantage. Even as younger players like 18-year-old Wang Yudong showed flashes of promise and endeavour, the team just couldn’t find the cutting edge in the final third.

Qualifying results painted a bleak picture overall — only three wins were recorded across the ten qualifier games, reflecting a downward trend that has plagued the team since the early 2010s.

Former heavyweights in Asian football, the nation has grown weaker relative to regional peers such as the Japan national football team and the Australia national football team.

In recent years, there has been growing frustration and increasing criticism of the team’s performance and structural issues within the sport’s domestic framework. Given the final outcome of the qualifiers and the nagging issues still persisting, the Dragon Team will miss out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup to the disappointment of its adoring support of its people.

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