In a historic triumph, China’s U17 men’s national team secured a 2-0 victory over Qatar in the final group stage match of the U17 Asian Cup, held in the early hours of May 13 Beijing time. The win ended a 21-year drought, earning the team a spot in the 2026 FIFA U17 World Cup in Qatar.
The match began with China pressing hard. In the first half, He Sifan received the ball on the left side of the box, cut inside, and curled a stunning shot into the far corner to give China a 1-0 lead. In the second half, substitute Zhang Bolin sealed the victory with a powerful header, making it 2-0.
China had entered the match under pressure after consecutive losses to Indonesia (0-1) and Japan (1-2). However, with three points from the win over Qatar, China finished level on points with both Qatar and Indonesia. In the three-way tie, China’s superior goal difference (+1) propelled them to second place in Group B, securing a spot in the quarterfinals and a place in the U17 World Cup.
This achievement marks China’s return to a global youth tournament following the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Peru, ending a 21-year absence. The last time a Chinese men’s national youth team competed in a world championship was also in 2005, when both the U17 and U20 teams participated in the World Championships in Peru and the Netherlands, respectively.
