JAKARTA –
China advanced to the third round of the Asian preliminaries for the 2026 World Cup by the narrowest of margins on Tuesday, despite a 1-0 defeat to South Korea in Seoul. Japan, meanwhile, overtook Syria as it completed its dominance in Group B.
Indonesia, North Korea, Kuwait and Kyrgyzstan also confirmed their progress to the next round, with the Chinese side qualifying second in Group C behind the South Koreans after Thailand could only manage a 3-1 win over Singapore.
Masatada Ishii needed to win by three clear goals, or score at least four with a two-goal margin of victory to rise above the Chinese in the standings, but Masatada Ishii’s side fell agonizingly short of a place in the draw for the next round on June 27.
