China has unveiled its 32-player roster for the pivotal 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers, set to face Saudi Arabia and Australia. The squad features five debutants, including three promising U23 defenders and two U20 strikers.
Among the new faces are defenders Liu Haofan, Wang Shiqin, and Xu Bin, all aged 23 or younger, alongside forwards Wang Yudong and Liu Chengyu, who are making their senior team debut. The selection comes as notable absences include 2024 Chinese Men’s Footballer of the Year Wu Lei and starting center-back Zhu Chenjie, both currently recovering from injuries.
Naturalized striker Hou Yongyong from Yunnan Yukun is expected to make his international debut, bringing fresh offensive options to the team. China’s preliminary matches will see Team Dragon take on Saudi Arabia in Riyadh on March 20, followed by a home game against Australia in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, on March 25.
With four group stage matches remaining, China is currently at the bottom of Group C with six points, tied with Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Bahrain. They trail second-placed Australia by a single point, while Japan leads the group with 16 points.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
