Chinese media disappointed after losing World Cup ticket

The press in the country of a billion people dissected the 0-1 defeat against Indonesia in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers on June 5.

China missed the chance to attend the 2026 World Cup.

Sina criticized coach Branko Ivankovic after his team's defeat. "The head coach made no less than three mistakes. This is a forgettable achievement for Chinese football after 68 years of being undefeated against Indonesia," the newspaper wrote.

In the first leg, China beat Indonesia 2-1 at home. But in the recent rematch, the situation changed. Indonesia's only goal against China came from a successful penalty kick by striker Ole Romeny.

The defeat to Indonesia officially eliminated China from the play-offs. This was also China's fourth consecutive loss in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Sina added: "Commentators and fans all share a common feeling of disappointment. The opponent is getting stronger and stronger, while our team is still standing still."

China lost to Indonesia on away field. Photo: Reuters .

Meanwhile, Xinhua headlined: "China fails to qualify for the 2026 World Cup." In the article, the newspaper pointed out that the national team could not even make it into the top 4 in Group C. The bottom position in the group is a great shame and a heavy blow to Chinese football.

Sports163 commented that coach Ivankovic's future is in doubt after a series of disappointing results. The departure of a series of naturalized players has left a big gap.

Meanwhile, Chinese fans were also angry with their team's performance. One account commented: "Where are we in Asia? The last time China played in the World Cup was 23 years ago." Another account wrote: "A team without a real leader is very difficult to go far."

On June 10, China has its final World Cup qualifying match against Bahrain at home.

Mbappe recreates goal in 2022 World Cup final In the first leg of the Champions League play-off round on the morning of February 12, Mbappe scored with a volley, reminiscent of his own impressive goal in the 2022 World Cup final.

Source: https://znews.vn/truyen-thong-trung-quoc-that-vong-khi-mat-ve-du-world-cup-post1558661.html