Fifa adds 4 Asian teams for 2026 World Cup – but Chinese fans still don’t think they will qualify
- There will be up to 9 Asian teams at expanded 48-team event, which takes place in the US, Mexico and Canada
- Netizens on Weibo not confident, however, that national men’s team will benefit from the changes, which were reported on Monday
Fifa has added an extra four spots for Asian teams at the 2026 World Cup – but Chinese fans are still doubtful that they will qualify.
The expanded 48-team event will take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 8 to July 3 in four years’ time.
And football’s governing body has increased the allocation for Asian countries from “4.5” teams to “8.5” – with eight direct qualifiers and one representative still going into an intercontinental play-off.
China are No. 78 in Fifa’s world rankings, and the 11th-highest ranked side in Asia.
Their fans were not optimistic their chances have been boosted at all by the changes, however, which were reported by the Asian Football Confederation on Monday.
“Take a look at the top 12,” one user wrote on China’s Twitter-like social media platform Weibo.
“Who can the Chinese men’s football team beat? In 2026, it is very likely that Thailand or Vietnam will qualify, and China will not.”
Iran, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iraq, Oman and Uzbekistan are all above China in Fifa’s rankings.