China Secures World Cup Hopes Despite Narrow Loss to South Korea; Thailand and India Fall Short

In a tightly contested match, China maintained its quest for the 2026 World Cup despite a 1-0 defeat against South Korea in the Asian qualifying round on Tuesday.

China secured advancement to the third qualification round due to Thailand’s inability to secure the necessary victory. Despite Thailand’s 3-1 win against Singapore, falling short of the required three-goal margin allowed China to clinch the second spot in the group.

With South Korea topping Group C, the team remains on track for its 11th consecutive World Cup appearance.

Lee Kang-in’s 61st-minute goal, assisted by Son Heung-min, sealed the victory for South Korea in front of a crowd of 65,000 at Seoul World Cup Stadium. Reflecting on the match, Son stated, “We were able to keep China from creating any dangerous chances,” highlighting the team’s patience and efficiency.

China’s only previous appearance in the men’s World Cup was in 2002 when the tournament was co-hosted by South Korea and Japan.

Meanwhile, Thailand’s hopes were dashed despite a commendable effort against Singapore at Rajamangala Stadium. Suphanat Mueanta’s goal in the first half provided hope, but Thailand’s failure to secure a decisive victory led to disappointment. “I feel disappointed that we didn’t make it to the next round,” expressed Suphanat, apologizing to football fans and the Thai populace.

India also faced heartbreak as they fell short against Group A leader Qatar, losing 2-1 in Doha despite scoring first. Kuwait’s 81st-minute goal against Afghanistan secured their second spot in the group with seven points from six games.

In other matches, Australia dominated the Palestinian team with a 5-0 victory in Perth, securing six wins out of six in Group I. Indonesia progressed with a 2-0 win over the Philippines in Group F.

North Korea capitalized on Syria’s 5-0 loss to Japan, securing second place in Group B with a 4-1 win over Myanmar.

Oman and Kyrgyzstan advanced from Group D, while Iran and Uzbekistan secured their spots in the third round of qualifiers, along with Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Jordan clinched the top spot in Group G with a 2-1 upset victory over Saudi Arabia.

The third qualification round is set to commence in September, with the remaining teams vying for a chance to secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup.