Chinese fans lose patience after World Cup qualifier thrashing

Supporters for Chinese team cheer during a World Cup and AFC Asian Qualifier between Japan and China at Saitama Stadium 2002 in Saitama, north of Tokyo, Sept. 5, 2024. Photo by AP

Chinese fans used the word "humiliating" to describe the defeat on Thursday.

"China national football team faced scorn and backlash online from fans and media," Channel News Asia wrote. "They also mocked the state of the sport in the country."

The defeat in Saitama, Japan became the top trending topic on Weibo, China's largest social network, as of Friday.

"China lost 0-7 to Japan" became a topic that received 530 million views, with many harsh comments attracting thousands of likes.

"They probably thought two goals was enough but made history once again with 7-0," one user wrote.

"Now I understand why CCTV didn’t air the match," said another.

Criticism continued to flow on Weibo's top trending topic. One account said that they didn’t see Japan goalkeeper throughout the match. Many others called for the team to be dissolved, as "there is no point in spending so much money on this useless group of players."

China players after the thrashing 0-7 defeat to Japan in the 2026 World Cup third qualifying round on Sept. 5, 2024. Photo by Reuters

China's previous biggest loss to Japan was by two goals. Their last major defeat in an official tournament was a 1-4 defeat to Iran in 1997, in the 1998 World Cup qualifiers. 0-7 was also China's biggest loss in 12 years, since the 0-8 defeat to Brazil in a friendly in 2012.

China entered the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers as the runner-up in group C of the second round. But they only advanced thanks to having a better head-to-head record over Thailand, after being tied on points, goal difference and number of goals scored. Meanwhile, Japan won all six of their games in the second round, scoring 24 goals and conceding none.

On FIFA ranking, Japan peak at 17th, 71 places above China.

"Japan are not only one of Asia strongest teams but also a world-class team," China head coach Branko Ivankovic said at the post-match press conference.

The Croatian coach lamented that it was "the most difficult night" in his coaching career.

"It was a tough match," Ivankovic said. "We specifically focused on defense during our pre-match preparations but conceded too many goals during the game, and some of those should not have happened."

China head coach Branko Ivankovic during the 0-7 defeat of China against Japan on Sept. 5, 2024. Photo by Reuters

Famous Chinese sports blogger He Sheng, with more than a million followers on Weibo, traveled to Saitama to watch the match live with his daughter. What remained in his mind was the poor performance of the players. "There is nothing to say about this match," He said.

China is considered the second strongest sports nation in the world, after the U.S. But they could not find a way to develop football and failed to realize the ambition to become a super football nation. Chinese clubs used to spend a lot of money to recruit big stars to the national championship, like what Saudi Arabia is doing, but the result was a football foundation lacking depth in youth development.

Not only that, corruption, especially in the Chinese Football Association (CFA), has slowed things down. In 2023, former CFA president Chen Xuyuan was sentenced to life in prison for bribery in a 2022 investigation. Several high-ranking figures, notably former Chinese national team coach Li Tie, were also arrested.

The last and only time China participated in the World Cup was 2002. Former national team captain Fan Zhiyi believes that in the current situation, a second World Cup qualification is impossible. The defeat to Japan on Thursday night only further reduced the confidence of fans.

"The way they lost was unacceptable," a fan wrote on Weibo.

Oriental Sports Daily said that Chinese football is hitting rock bottom. "When the bitterness reaches its limit, all that remains is numbness," it wrote. In addition, the Shanghai-based newspaper called Ivankovic an incompetent coach who is partially responsible for the defeat.

The third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers has finished its first fixture. China still have nine more matches to restore the trust of fans. But the road ahead is not easy, as in the next match on Sept. 10, they will host Saudi Arabia, a team that also need a win after drawing 1-1 against Indonesia at home.