Photo: VCG

The Chinese national soccer team lost 0-7 to Japan on Thursday in the first match of the third round of the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers. 

This defeat reportedly set three unfortunate records for Chinese soccer team: their biggest-ever loss to Japan, the most goals conceded in a single World Cup qualifying match, and their biggest defeat in World Cup qualifying history.

The last time the Chinese team defeated Japan was during the 1998 Dynasty Cup semifinals when they won 2-0. Since then, China has gone 14 matches without a victory against Japan in all competitions, with eight losses and six draws. 

On social media, such a defeat has sparked torrents of criticism and dismay, and even satire from Chinese fans.

Li Boqing, a traditional storyteller, offered a pointed remark: "If we had forfeited the match and lost 0-3 by default, we could have saved travel expenses and invested in youth training instead, while also preserving a better goal difference. In World Cup qualifiers, sometimes a single goal difference can determine whether a team advances."

Sports commentator Zhan Jun also expressed his dismay on social media, calling the second-half collapse and the overall performance unacceptable. He pointed out that the coaching team seemed to lack a detailed study of Japan's attack tactics and did not make effective adjustments.

"It appeared that the players were unprepared, and the coach failed to convey his strategy through substitutions. Hopefully, the coaching team will learn from this, and the Chinese team can return home and rebound with a stronger performance in the second round," he stated.