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China national football team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see China women's national football team. For the team that represents the Republic of China (also known as Taiwan), see Chinese Taipei national football team.
Quick facts for kids
China
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) 龙之队 (Dragon Team)
Association Chinese Football Association (CFA)
Confederation AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation EAFF (East Asia)
Head coach Branko Ivanković
Captain Wu Lei
Most caps Li Weifeng (112)
Top scorer Hao Haidong (39)
Home stadium Various
FIFA code CHN
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 72 Increase 4 (7 February 2019)
Highest 37 (December 1998)
Lowest 109 (March 2013)
Elo ranking
Current 77 Decrease 7 (3 March 2019)
Highest 23 (May 1934)
Lowest 92 (October 1992)
First international
As Republic of China (1912–1949)
 Philippines 2–1 China 
(Manila, Philippines; 1 February 1913)
As People's Republic of China (1949–present)
 Finland 4–0 China 
(Helsinki, Finland; 4 August 1952)
Biggest win
 China 19–0 Guam 
(Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 26 January 2000)
Biggest defeat
 Brazil 8–0 China 
(Recife, Brazil; 10 September 2012)
World Cup
Appearances 1 (first in 2002)
Best result Group stage (2002)
Asian Cup
Appearances 14 (first in 1976)
Best result Runners-up (1984, 2004)
EAFF Championship
Appearances 9 (first in 2003)
Best result Champions (2005, 2010)
China Cup
Appearances 3 (first in 2017)
Best result Third place (2017)

The China national football team (simplified Chinese: 中国国家足球队; traditional Chinese: 中國國家足球隊; pinyin: Zhōngguó guójiā zúqiú duì), recognised as China PR by FIFA, represents the China in international association football and is governed by the Chinese Football Association.

China won the EAFF East Asian Cup in 2005 and 2010, was runner-up at the AFC Asian Cup in 1984 and 2004 and made its sole FIFA World Cup appearance in 2002, losing all matches without scoring a goal.

History

History (1913–1949)

Chinese olympic football team 1936
Chinese Olympic football team in 1936

China's first-ever international representative match was arranged by Elwood Brown, president of the Philippine Athletic Association, who proposed the creation of the Far Eastern Championship Games, a multi-sport event considered to be a precursor to the Asian Games. He invited China to participate in the inaugural 1913 Far Eastern Championship Games held in the Philippines, which included association football within the schedule. To represent them, it was decided that the winner of the football at the Chinese National Games in 1910 should have the honour to represent the country, where it was won by South China Football Club. The club's founder and coach Mok Hing (Chinese: 莫慶) would become China's first coach and on 4 February 1913 in a one-off tournament game held in the Manila he led China to a 2–1 defeat against the Philippines national football team.

The political unrest of the Xinhai Revolution that mired China's participation in the first tournament, especially in renaming the team as Republic of China national football team, did not stop Shanghai being awarded the 1915 Far Eastern Championship Games. Once again South China Football Club, now known as South China Athletic Association won the right to represent the nation. This time in a two legged play-off against the Philippines, China won the first game 1–0 and then drew the second 0–0 to win their first ever tournament. With the games being the first and only regional football tournament for national teams outside Britain, China looked to establish themselves as a regional powerhouse by winning a total of nine championships.

The Chinese Football Association was founded in 1924 and then was first affiliated with FIFA in 1931. With these foundations in place China looked to establish themselves within the international arena and along with Japan were the first Asian sides to participate in the Football at the Summer Olympics when they competed within the 1936 Summer Olympics held in Germany. At the tournament China were knocked out within their first game at the round of 16 when they were beaten by Great Britain Olympic football team 2–0 on 6 August 1936.

On 7 July 1937 the Second Sino-Japanese War officially erupted, which saw the relations between China and Japan completely eroded especially once it was announced that Japan would hold the 1938 Far Eastern Championship Games. The tournament would be officially cancelled while Japan held their own tournament called the 2600th Anniversary of the Japanese Empire, which included the Japanese puppet states Manchukuo and the collaborationist National Reorganised Government of China based in occupied Nanjing. But none of the top Chinese players competed in the Japanese Empire anniversary games. None of the games during the Second Sino-Japanese War are officially recognized and once the war ended on 9 September 1945 China looked to the Olympics once again for international recognition. On 2 August 1948 China competed in the Football at the 1948 Summer Olympics where they were once again knocked out in the last sixteen, this time by Turkey national football team in a 4–0 defeat. When the players returned they found the country in the midst of the Chinese Civil War. When it ended, the team had been split into two, one called the People's Republic of China national football team and the other called Republic of China national football team (later renamed Chinese Taipei national football team).

Early People's Republic (1950–1976)

The newly instated People's Republic of China reformed CFA before having FIFA acknowledge their 1931 membership on 14 June 1952. Finland, who were one of the first nations to hold diplomatic relations with China's new government, invited the country to take part in the 1952 Summer Olympics. Li Fenglou would become the country's first permanent manager to lead them in the tournament, however the Chinese delegation was delayed and they missed the entire competition, nevertheless the Finland national football team would still greet Li and the Chinese team with a friendly game on 4 August 1952 making it People's Republic of China's official first game, which ended in a 4–0 defeat. In preparation for entering their first FIFA competition, China sent a young squad to train in Hungary in 1954. However, when they entered the 1958 FIFA World Cup qualification process China were knocked out by Indonesia.

On 7 June 1958, China stopped participating within any FIFA recognised football events when FIFA officially started to recognise the Republic of China as a different country. This sparked a diplomatic argument that had already seen China withdraw from the 1956 Summer Olympics for the same reasons. For years the People's Republic of China would only play in friendlies with nations who recognized them as the sole heir to the China name. On 25 October 1971 the United Nations would recognise the People's Republic country as the sole heir to the China name in their General Assembly Resolution 2758 act. Due to this hearing in 1973, the Nationalist Chinese team, which had been using the name "Republic of China", would stop using that name and would eventually rename themselves as "Chinese Taipei" in 1980. These acts would see China rejoin the international sporting community, first by becoming a member of the Asian Football Confederation in 1974 and by rejoining FIFA again in 1979.

Asian underdogs (1980–2009)

The 1974 Asian Games reintroduced the team back into international football while the 1976 AFC Asian Cup saw them came third.

Asian Cup 1984, match Saudi Arabia and China
Chinese players in a match against Saudi Arabia at the 1984 AFC Asian Cup

In 1980, China participated in the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualifiers for a berth in the 1982 World Cup, but they lost a play-off game against New Zealand. During the 1986 FIFA World Cup qualifiers for the 1986 World Cup, China faced Hong Kong at home in the final match of the first qualifying round on 19 May 1985 where China only needed a draw to advance. However, Hong Kong produced a 2–1 upset win which resulted in riots inside and outside the stadium in Beijing. During the 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, China again reached the final round. They just missed out on qualifying as they conceded two goals in the final three minutes against Qatar in their final group match. During the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifiers – when they were led by their first-ever foreign manager, Klaus Schlapner – China failed to reach the final round of qualifying, coming second behind Iraq.

In 1987, the first Chinese footballers moved abroad when future national team player Xie Yuxin joined FC Zwolle (Netherlands) and ex-national teamer Gu Guangming joined SV Darmstadt 98 (Germany). In 1988, national team captain Jia Xiuquan and striker Liu Haiguang both joined FK Partizan (Yugoslavia).

After failing to reach the 1998 FIFA World Cup, China appointed Serbian manager Bora Milutinović as coach of the national team, and China saw its fortune increased. The country managed to take fourth-place finish in the 2000 AFC Asian Cup where the Chinese side performed well, and only fell to heavyweights Japan and South Korea by one goal margin. The good performance in Lebanon boosted the confidence of Chinese side, and in 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, China lost only one and drew only one, winning all the remaining games, most notably an important 1–0 win over Oman, to finally reach the 2002 FIFA World Cup, its first and only World Cup up to date. In the 2002 World Cup, China was eliminated after three matches without gaining a single point nor even scoring a goal during their participation in the tournament.

China hosted the 2004 AFC Asian Cup, ultimately fell 1–3 to Japan in a final match. The match's outcome sparked anger among Chinese supporters, who rioted in response to bad refereeing. There were an estimated 250 million viewers for the match, the largest single-event sports audience in the country's history at that time.

After winning the 2005 East Asian Football Championship following a 2–0 win against North Korea, they started qualification for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup. During this time, the team became the subject of immense criticism and national embarrassment in the media when they had managed to score only one goal, Shao Jiayi's penalty kick during injury time, against Singapore at home and only managed a draw with Singapore in the away game. During preparations for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, the team spent the weeks leading up to the tournament on a tour of the United States. While the 4–1 loss to the United States was unexpected, a 1–0 loss to Major League Soccer side Real Salt Lake which finished bottom of the league in the 2007 season caused serious concern.

During the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, the team played three group matches, winning against Malaysia, drawing with Iran after leading 2–1, and losing 3–0 to Uzbekistan. After high expectations, China's performance at the tournament drew criticism online which condemned the team's members and even the association. Zhu was later replaced as manager by Vladimir Petrović after these performances. Some commented that China's reliance on foreign managers for the past decade had been an indicator of its poor domestic manager development.

In June 2008, China failed to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, losing against Qatar and Iraq at home. After the 2008 Summer Olympics, Petrović was sacked as the manager and Yin Tiesheng was announced as the team's caretaker.

Stagnation (2010–present)

In April 2009, China appointed Gao Hongbo as the new manager, replacing Yin Tiesheng. His arrival saw China opt for a new strategy, turning towards ground passing tactics and adopting the 4–2–3–1 formation. It was noted that Chinese footballers had relied too heavily on the long ball tactic for almost a decade. Wei Di, the chief of the Chinese Football Association, stressed that, "Anytime, no matter win or loss, they must show their team spirit and courage. I hope, after one year's effort, the national team can give the public a new image." Gao was knocked out of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup's group stage. His winning percentage (65%), the highest for a Chinese manager since Nian Weisi (67.86%), did not defer the Chinese Football Association from replacing him with José Antonio Camacho in August 2011, less than a month before the qualification process for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Appointment of José Antonio Camacho

On 13 August 2011, José Antonio Camacho was appointed as the new manager of the team, signing a three-year deal for a reported annual salary of $8 million. Wei Di, CFA chief, explained the decision as being part of a long-term plan to help the country catch up with rivals Japan and South Korea. He noted that, "Compared with their neighbours Japan and South Korea, Chinese football is lagging far behind, we need to work with a long-term view and start to catch up with a pragmatic approach. The citizens expects heavily for China to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup held in Brazil. They are afraid that changing the coach at the last moment may cause bad effect to the team's qualifying prospect. I can totally understand that. But we do not have any time to waste."

Yu Hongchen, the vice-president of the Chinese Football Administrative Centre, also stated, "The qualifying stage of 2014 World Cup is just a temporary task for him. Even if the task is failed, Camacho will not lose the job. When we started to find a new coach for the national team, we mainly focus on European countries such as Germany, the Netherlands and Spain. First of all, they have advanced football concepts, and secondly they have a productive youth training system, which we can learn from. We hope he can help us to find a suitable style."

Camacho managed the team to an 8–0 lost against Brazil in a friendly match on 10 September 2012 which would go on record as China's biggest ever international defeat. This massive loss also succumbed China to their worst ever FIFA ranking (109th).

Camacho then led China during their qualification process for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup whereby losing the first group match 2–1 to Saudi Arabia. After a 5–1 lost against Thailand in a friendly match, Camacho was sacked a week later and with Fu Bo assigned as the caretaker. In light of continued struggles, in 2015, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping expressed the goal of having China's men's national team be the top team in Asia by 2030 and the following year China revealed its ambitious blueprint to be the best in the world by 2050.

Alain Perrin and Gao Hongbo returns

China PR national football team training in Tehran 01
The Chinese national team in Tehran before a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Iran

After Camacho, there was Alain Perrin, who finally led China to qualify for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, which also included luck from the Thailand–Lebanon encounter, in which Thailand lost but salvaged an important goal by Adisak Kraisorn to help improve China's goal difference with the Lebanese. Soon after that, Perrin led China into a series of friendlies, where some positive results against Macedonia, Kuwait, Paraguay and Thailand boosted some optimism.

In the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, Perrin's China was placed in a group with Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and North Korea. China emerged victoriously in all three games, qualified for the knockout stage for the first time since the 2004 edition. The Chinese Dragons then lost to host Australia 0–2 with Tim Cahill scoring a brace.

Despite this, China's 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers immediately represented a huge problem for the Chinese side; they were held goalless by Hong Kong at home twice, and lost to Qatar. Perrin was sacked for the team's poor performance at the middle of the second round following another goalless draw to Hong Kong, and former coach Gao Hongbo returned to the role on 3 February 2016, where he had to face a task of guiding China in at the expense of North Korea which had a better second-place ranking than China. Gao's first two matches were consecutive wins against Maldives and Qatar, and with North Korea suddenly slipping out against the Philippines, these results secured the team's passage to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup and entering the final qualifying stage for the World Cup.

China continued their World Cup hunt by a 2–3 defeat to South Korea; and a goalless draw to AFC's then highest ranked Iran at home. However, China followed that with a 0–1 loss at home to Syria and 0–2 away to Uzbekistan next month. Gao Hongbo resigned. His team had been winless in the first four matches of the final qualifying stage for the World Cup, including a home loss to Syria which was criticised by a number of fans.

Marcello Lippi's tenure

THA-CHN 20190120 Asian Cup 22
Chinese players after win against Thailand at 2019 AFC Asian Cup Round of 16

On 22 October 2016, Marcello Lippi was appointed manager of the team ahead for the last remaining matches. A match saw China defeat South Korea for the first time in a FIFA-sanctioned tournament, amidst the heat of tensions over South Korea's deployment of THAAD. However, China's away loss to Iran and a 2–2 draw to Syria meant China was unable to compete with and dragged behind by Syria who managed a 2–2 draw with Iran and not to be qualified for the 2018 World Cup under Lippi's tenure, but improvements could be seen following two late wins over Uzbekistan and Qatar.

Lippi led the side during the final stage of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, where China won 2–1 to Kyrgyzstan and 3–0 to Philippines, before losing 2–0 to group leaders South Korea on 16 January. China then beat Thailand 2–1 to earn a place in the quarter-finals, where it was knocked 3–0 out by Iran; Lippi subsequently confirmed his departure from the team.

Another Italian and former Ballon d'Or winner, Fabio Cannavaro was appointed as the next China's manager in conjunction with coaching Guangzhou Evergrande but he stepped down after only two matches.

Lacking options when it came to searching for a new coach, CFA re-appointed Marcello Lippi. To improve the team, China had begun a series of naturalization on foreign-based players, with Nico Yennaris, an English-born Cypriot, and Tyias Browning, another English-born player, being naturalized. Subsequently, Elkeson, a Brazilian player with no Chinese ancestry, was naturalized. Despite the process of naturalization, the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification for China proved to be rockier than expected, the team could only beat the Maldives and Guam, before being held goalless in the Philippines and followed with a denting 1–2 away lost to Syria, and Lippi resigned as coach.

Li Tie and Li Xiaopeng's era

2002 FIFA World Cup ace Li Tie was appointed as China's head coach on 2 January 2020. Trailing behind Syria by five points before Li took charge, China were still unable to reclaim their first place but nonetheless managed to win all of their remaining fixtures, including an important 2–0 win over the Philippines and notably a 3–1 win over Syria to guarantee them as the best second-placed team, thus reaching the third round.

In the third round, China shared Group B with Asian powerhouses Japan, Australia and Saudi Arabia, alongside Oman and Vietnam. The Chinese started poorly with two losses to Australia and Japan in Doha due to the COVID-19 pandemic at home preventing the country from hosting. After this poor start, China salvaged five points in the next four matches, including a hard-fought 3–2 win over Vietnam and two 1–1 draws to Oman and especially Australia, all occurring in Sharjah, the UAE. However, despite these improvements, Li Tie was sacked on 2 December 2021 amidst heavy criticism.

After Li Tie's resignation, his World Cup teammate Li Xiaopeng took the head coach position with immense pressure. China's first game under Li Xiaopeng, however, was a 0–2 away loss to Japan in Saitama, effectively ending China's hopes of finishing in the top two and could only rely on the play-offs. Yet, on 1 February 2022, coinciding with the traditional Lunar New Year, the Chinese stumbled to a shock 1–3 loss to Vietnam in Hanoi, officially extending China's hunt for a second World Cup appearance to 24 years. This defeat, the first in Chinese football history to Vietnam, triggered widespread anger and criticism amongst Chinese fans. With their World Cup hopes lost, China grabbed a solitary point coming from a 1–1 draw with the Saudis before losing to Oman 0–2 in Muscat, finishing fifth with two more points than Vietnam.

The Yugoslav era

After poor forms in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifications, China took part in the 2022 EAFF E-1 Football Championship under interim manager Aleksandar Janković. With the leadership of Janković, China won four points, finishing third after a 1–0 win over Hong Kong, though for the first time in 12 years, China did not lose to Japan away. Because of this result Janković was named the permanent coach of the China national team in 2023, with the aim to guide China to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

On 1 January 2024, China suffered a 1–2 defeat to Hong Kong in an international friendly, marking their first loss in 39 years. Later, for the first time ever, China could not score in three consecutive matches at the AFC Asian Cup as they fell to third with only two points and later eliminated. This result and poor performance of the side triggered outrage in China, and Aleksandar Janković would lose the job on 31 January 2024.

On 25 February 2024, Branko Ivanković succeeded Janković as China's new coach. Under his tenure, China only managed to reach the final round of the World Cup qualification by the slimmest margin, thanks to China's superior head-to-head record against Thailand after both teams were equal on points, goals scored and goal difference. Additionally, China also drew 2-2 with Singapore during the qualification, being the only team to drop points against them.

Team image

The team is known as the "Dragon Team" (Chinese: 龙之队; pinyin: Lóng zhī duì), "Team China" (Chinese: 中国队), the "National Team" (Chinese: 国家队) or "Guózú" (Chinese: 国足, short for Chinese: 国家足球队; pinyin: Guójiā Zúqiú Duì; literally "national football team").

China's home kit is traditionally all-red with a white or yellow trim while their away kit is traditionally an inverted version of the home kit, fully white with a red trim. During the 1996 AFC Asian Cup, China employed a third kit which was all blue with a white trim and was used against Saudi Arabia during the tournament. The 2022–24 season marks the first time the team had a turquoise blue secondary kit, replace the white kit worn in previous seasons. The team has also started to use cooling vests in certain warmer climates. After decades of having Adidas producing the team's kits, China's current kit has been produced and manufactured by Nike since 2015.

Kit supplier Period Contract
announcement		 Contract
duration		 Value Notes
Germany Adidas 1991–2014
United States Nike 2015–present
2015-01-03
 2015–2026 (11 years) $16 million per year

Rivalries

Japan

Main article: China–Japan football rivalry

China's rivalry with Japan was exemplified after their 3–1 defeat in the 2004 AFC Asian Cup Final on home soil. The subsequent rioting by Chinese fans at the Workers' Stadium was said to be provoked by controversial officiating during the tournament and the heightened anti-Japanese sentiment at the time. China has played Japan 14 times since 2000 but has yet to win until now.

South Korea

Main article: China–South Korea football rivalry

Another rivalry is with neighbour South Korea who China played 27 matches against between 1978 and 2010, without winning a single match. The media coined the term "Koreaphobia" to describe this phenomenon, but China finally registered its first win against South Korea on 10 February 2010, winning 3–0 during the 2010 East Asian Football Championship and eventually going on to win the tournament. Traced further, China met South Korea (then known as Korea) for the first time in 1949 in a friendly in British Hong Kong, where China clinched the first and only win over Korea in 61 years. There is also another political dimension behind the fuelling of this rivalry, mostly because of the long history of wars between the two states.

Hong Kong

Main article: China–Hong Kong football rivalry

A rivalry with Hong Kong has been created due to political tensions as well as issues during 2018 World Cup qualification. With Hong Kong fans booing the Chinese national anthem, which Hong Kong share with China, 2018 World Cup qualifier matches were also very tense with both matches resulting in 0–0 draws.

On 1 January 2024, China suffered a 1–2 defeat to Hong Kong in an international friendly, marking their first loss in 39 years.

Uzbekistan

The rivalry with Uzbekistan is a recent development, but also stemmed from previous results which saw China suffered shock defeats to the hand of Uzbekistan in several competitive football games. The two nations first met each other in the final for the 1994 Asian Games, where Uzbekistan, with a squad depleted due to the collapse of the Soviet Union, stunned China with a 4–2 win to claim gold in Uzbekistan's debut in any major football tournament; the game had been accused of match-fixing, though evidence have yet to emerge.

This was soon repeated again in the 1996 AFC Asian Cup, which was Uzbekistan's debut in a major competitive football tournament, which China suffered a blowing 0–2 defeat to the Uzbeks, with both goals scored in the dying times right in what would be Uzbekistan's first-ever Asian Cup fixture. Since then, Uzbekistan has frequently become a problematic opponent for China, with China often lost more than won in competitive games against the Uzbeks. China has never beaten Uzbekistan on Uzbek soil, with all two visiting trips ending in defeats for the Chinese.

Results and fixtures

See also: China national football team results (2020–present)

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2023

2024

2025

  • 1 : Non FIFA 'A' international match

Coaching staff

Source
Position Name
Technical director China Gao Hongbo
Head coach Croatia Branko Ivanković
Assistant coach Croatia Mario Tokić
China Chen Tao
China Zheng Zhi
Goalkeeping coach Croatia Igor Panadic
Conditioning coach China Guo Xiaolei
Fitness coach Croatia Marko Stilinović
Video analysts China Zhang Bin
China Jiang Yong
Match analyst China Sui Han
Technical analyst Iran Farzad Habibollahi
Therapists China Jin Ri
China Jiang Wenyu
China Hang Yanrui
Equipment manager China Wang Yue
Logistics China Yang Hao
China Chen Xi
Press officers China Zheng Chao
China Che Hengzhi
Doctor China Wang Shucheng
Team coordinator China Yuan Jiayang

Coaching history

1930–1948

1951–present

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) against  Japan on 19 November 2024.

Caps and goals are correct as of 14 November 2024, after the match against  Bahrain.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Yan Junling (1991-01-28) 28 January 1991 (age 33) 57 0 China Shanghai Port
1GK Wang Dalei (Captain) (1989-01-10) 10 January 1989 (age 35) 38 0 China Shandong Taishan
1GK Liu Dianzuo (1990-06-25) 25 June 1990 (age 34) 4 0 China Wuhan Three Towns
1GK Han Jiaqi (1999-07-03) 3 July 1999 (age 25) 3 0 China Beijing Guoan
2DF Zhu Chenjie (2000-08-23) 23 August 2000 (age 24) 33 1 China Shanghai Shenhua
2DF Jiang Guangtai (1994-05-30) 30 May 1994 (age 30) 32 1 China Shanghai Port
2DF Jiang Shenglong (2000-12-24) 24 December 2000 (age 23) 15 0 China Shanghai Shenhua
2DF Wei Zhen (1997-02-12) 12 February 1997 (age 27) 3 0 China Shanghai Port
2DF Yang Zexiang (1994-12-14) 14 December 1994 (age 30) 3 0 China Shanghai Shenhua
2DF Hu Hetao (2003-10-05) 5 October 2003 (age 21) 2 0 China Chengdu Rongcheng
2DF Wang Zhen'ao (1999-08-10) 10 August 1999 (age 25) 1 0 China Shanghai Port
2DF Han Pengfei (1993-04-28) 28 April 1993 (age 31) 0 0 China Tianjin Jinmen Tiger
3MF Wang Shangyuan (1993-06-02) 2 June 1993 (age 31) 24 1 China Henan FC
3MF Li Yuanyi (1993-08-28) 28 August 1993 (age 31) 7 0 China Shandong Taishan
3MF Xie Wenneng (2001-02-06) 6 February 2001 (age 23) 6 1 China Shandong Taishan
3MF Xu Haoyang (1999-01-15) 15 January 1999 (age 25) 4 0 China Shanghai Shenhua
3MF Cheng Jin (1995-02-18) 18 February 1995 (age 29) 2 0 China Zhejiang Professional
3MF Huang Zhengyu (1997-01-24) 24 January 1997 (age 27) 2 0 China Shandong Taishan
3MF Wang Haijian (2000-08-02) 2 August 2000 (age 24) 2 0 China Shanghai Shenhua
4FW Zhang Yuning (1997-01-05) 5 January 1997 (age 27) 37 8 China Beijing Guoan
4FW Wei Shihao (1995-04-08) 8 April 1995 (age 29) 33 4 China Chengdu Rongcheng
4FW Lin Liangming (1997-06-04) 4 June 1997 (age 27) 15 2 China Beijing Guoan
4FW Wang Ziming (1996-08-05) 5 August 1996 (age 28) 6 0 China Beijing Guoan
4FW Tao Qianglong (2001-11-20) 20 November 2001 (age 23) 2 0 China Wuhan Three Towns
4FW Cao Yongjing (1997-02-15) 15 February 1997 (age 27) 1 0 China Beijing Guoan

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the squad within the last twelve months.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Bao Yaxiong (1997-05-23) 23 May 1997 (age 27) 0 0 China Shanghai Shenhua September 2024 training camp
GK Zhao Bo (1993-09-17) 17 September 1993 (age 31) 0 0 China Zhejiang Professional v.  Singapore, 21 March 2024 PRE
GK Jian Tao (2001-06-22) 22 June 2001 (age 23) 0 0 China Chengdu Rongcheng 2023 AFC Asian Cup
DF Li Lei (1992-05-30) 30 May 1992 (age 32) 17 0 China Beijing Guoan v.  Bahrain, 14 November 2024
DF Gao Zhunyi (1995-08-21) 21 August 1995 (age 29) 18 0 China Shandong Taishan v.  Indonesia, 15 October 2024
DF Liu Yang (1995-06-17) 17 June 1995 (age 29) 32 0 China Shandong Taishan v.  Australia, 10 October 2024
DF Li Shuai (1995-06-18) 18 June 1995 (age 29) 2 0 China Shanghai Port v.  South Korea, 11 June 2024
DF Zhang Linpeng (1989-05-09) 9 May 1989 (age 35) 105 6 China Shanghai Port v.  Singapore, 21 March 2024
DF Deng Hanwen (1995-01-08) 8 January 1995 (age 29) 15 2 China Wuhan Three Towns v.  Singapore, 21 March 2024 PRE
DF Li Ang (1993-09-15) 15 September 1993 (age 31) 8 0 China Shanghai Port v.  Singapore, 21 March 2024 PRE
DF Wu Shaocong (2000-03-20) 20 March 2000 (age 24) 7 0 Turkey İstanbul Başakşehir 2023 AFC Asian Cup
DF Xu Haofeng (1999-01-27) 27 January 1999 (age 25) 4 0 China Henan FC 2023 AFC Asian Cup
MF Xie Pengfei (1993-06-29) 29 June 1993 (age 31) 19 0 China Shanghai Shenhua v.  Thailand, 6 June 2024
MF Gao Tianyi (1998-07-01) 1 July 1998 (age 26) 6 0 China Shanghai Shenhua v.  South Korea, 11 June 2024
MF Dai Wai Tsun (1999-07-25) 25 July 1999 (age 25) 14 0 China Shanghai Shenhua v.  Singapore, 21 March 2024 PRE
MF Li Ke (1993-05-24) 24 May 1993 (age 31) 12 0 China Beijing Guoan v.  Singapore, 21 March 2024 PRE
MF Wang Qiuming (1993-01-09) 9 January 1993 (age 31) 7 1 China Tianjin Jinmen Tiger 2023 AFC Asian Cup
MF Xu Xin (1994-04-19) 19 April 1994 (age 30) 16 1 China Shanghai Port 2023 AFC Asian Cup
MF Wu Xi (1989-02-19) 19 February 1989 (age 35) 90 9 China Shanghai Shenhua 2023 AFC Asian Cup
MF Liu Binbin (1993-06-16) 16 June 1993 (age 31) 21 1 China Shandong Taishan 2023 AFC Asian Cup
MF Chen Pu (1997-01-15) 15 January 1997 (age 27) 7 0 China Shandong Taishan 2023 AFC Asian Cup
FW Behram Abduweli (2003-03-08) 8 March 2003 (age 21) 7 1 China Shenzhen Peng City v.  Bahrain, 14 November 2024
FW Wu Lei (1991-11-19) 19 November 1991 (age 33) 99 36 China Shanghai Port v.  Saudi Arabia, 10 September 2024
FW A Lan (1989-07-10) 10 July 1989 (age 35) 14 3 China Qingdao West Coast v.  Indonesia, 15 October 2024
FW Fei Nanduo (1993-03-16) 16 March 1993 (age 31) 7 1 China Shandong Taishan v.  Australia, 10 October 2024
FW Ai Kesen (1989-07-13) 13 July 1989 (age 35) 19 4 China Chengdu Rongcheng v.  South Korea, 11 June 2024
FW Fang Hao (2000-01-03) 3 January 2000 (age 24) 6 0 China Beijing Guoan v.  South Korea, 11 June 2024
FW Xie Weijun (1997-11-14) 14 November 1997 (age 27) 1 0 China Tianjin Jinmen Tiger v.  South Korea, 11 June 2024
FW Ba Dun (1995-09-16) 16 September 1995 (age 29) 3 1 China Tianjin Jinmen Tiger v.  Singapore, 21 March 2024 PRE
FW Tan Long (1988-04-01) 1 April 1988 (age 36) 20 3 China Changchun Yatai 2023 AFC Asian Cup

INJ Withdrew due to injury
PRE Preliminary squad
RET Retired from the national team
SUS Serving suspension
WD Withdrew due to non-injury related reasons

Player records

.
Players in bold are still active with China.

Most appearances

Li Weifeng
Li Weifeng is China's most capped player with 112 appearances.
Rank Name Caps Goals Career
1 Li Weifeng 112 14 1998–2011
2 Zhu Bo 111 2 1983–1993
3 Fan Zhiyi 110 17 1992–2002
4 Gao Lin 109 22 2005–2019
5 Zheng Zhi 108 15 2002–2019
6 Hao Haidong 106 39 1992–2004
7 Zhang Linpeng 105 6 2009–present
8 Wu Lei 99 36 2010–present
9 Li Ming 96 6 1992–2004
10 Li Tie 93 5 1997–2007

Top goalscorers

Rank Name Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Hao Haidong 39 106 0.37 1992–2004
2 Wu Lei 36 99 0.37 2010–present
3 Liu Haiguang 31 77 0.4 1983–1990
4 Ma Lin 29 59 0.49 1985–1990
5 Yang Xu 28 54 0.52 2009–2019
6 Su Maozhen 27 55 0.49 1994–2002
7 Li Jinyu 25 72 0.35 1997–2008
8 Li Bing 22 74 0.3 1992–2001
Gao Lin 22 109 0.2 2005–2019
10 Zhao Dayu 20 30 0.67 1982–1986

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

Main article: China at the FIFA World Cup

China has only appeared at one World Cup with the appearance being in the 2002 FIFA World Cup where they finished bottom of the group which included a 4–0 loss to Brazil.

China's FIFA World Cup record
 Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L F A Pld W D L F A
Uruguay 1930 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
1934 to 1954 Did not enter Declined participation
Sweden 1958 Did not qualify 3 1 1 1 4 5
1962 to 1978 Did not enter Declined participation
Spain 1982 Did not qualify 12 7 2 3 19 8
Mexico 1986 6 4 1 1 23 2
Italy 1990 11 7 0 4 18 9
United States 1994 8 6 0 2 18 4
France 1998 14 8 3 3 24 16
South Korea Japan 2002 Group stage 31st 3 0 0 3 0 9 14 12 1 1 38 5
Germany 2006 Did not qualify 6 5 0 1 14 1
South Africa 2010 8 3 3 2 14 4
Brazil 2014 8 5 0 3 23 9
Russia 2018 18 8 5 5 35 11
Qatar 2022 18 7 4 7 39 22
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined 4 2 1 1 8 7
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total Group stage 1/21 3 0 0 3 0 9 130 75 21 34 277 103

AFC Asian Cup

See also: China at the AFC Asian Cup
China's AFC Asian Cup record
 Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Hong Kong 1956 Did not enter Did not enter
South Korea 1960 Did not enter Did not enter
Israel 1964 Did not enter Did not enter
Iran 1968 Did not enter Did not enter
Thailand 1972 Did not enter Did not enter
Iran 1976 Third place 3rd 4 1 1 2 2 4 5 4 0 1 14 4
Kuwait 1980 Group stage 7th 4 1 1 2 9 5 3 2 0 1 5 2
Singapore 1984 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 0 2 11 4 4 4 0 0 15 0
Qatar 1988 Fourth place 4th 6 2 2 2 7 5 5 2 3 0 10 1
Japan 1992 Third place 3rd 5 1 3 1 6 6 3 3 0 0 7 0
United Arab Emirates 1996 Quarter-finals 8th 4 1 0 3 6 7 3 3 0 0 16 1
Lebanon 2000 Fourth place 4th 6 2 2 2 11 7 3 3 0 0 29 0
China 2004 Runners-up 2nd 6 3 2 1 13 6 Qualified as hosts
Indonesia Malaysia Thailand Vietnam 2007 Group stage 9th 3 1 1 1 7 6 6 3 2 1 7 3
Qatar 2011 9th 3 1 1 1 4 4 6 4 1 1 13 5
Australia 2015 Quarter-finals 7th 4 3 0 1 5 4 6 2 2 2 5 6
United Arab Emirates 2019 6th 5 3 0 2 7 7 8 5 2 1 27 1
Qatar 2023 Group stage 18th 3 0 2 1 0 1 8 6 1 1 30 3
Saudi Arabia 2027 To be determined To be determined
Total 13/18 0 Titles 59 23 15 21 88 66 58 39 11 8 166 26


Summer Olympics

Year Result Pos Pld W D L GF GA
France 1900 to Netherlands 1928 Did not enter
Germany 1936 First round 12 1 0 0 1 0 2
United Kingdom 1948 14 1 0 0 1 0 4
Finland 1952 to Australia 1956 Withdrew after qualifying
Italy 1960 to Canada 1976 Not an IOC member
Soviet Union 1980 to United States 1984 Did not qualify
South Korea 1988 First round 14 3 0 1 2 0 5
Total 3/25 - 5 0 1 4 0 11

For 1992 to 2020, see China national under-23 football team

Asian Games

Year Result Rank Pld W D L GF GA
India 1951 Did not enter
Flag of Philippines.svg 1954 Did not enter
Japan 1958 Did not enter
Flag of Indonesia.svg 1962 Did not enter
Flag of Thailand.svg 1966 Did not enter
Flag of Thailand.svg 1970 Did not enter
Iran 1974 First round 10 3 1 0 2 7 4
Thailand 1978 Third place 3 7 5 0 2 16 5
India 1982 Quarter-finals 7 4 2 1 1 4 3
South Korea 1986 8 4 2 1 1 10 7
China 1990 6 4 2 0 2 8 4
Japan 1994 Runners-up 2 7 5 1 1 16 8
Thailand 1998 Third place 3 8 6 0 2 24 7
Total* 7/13 - 37 23 3 11 85 38

* Including 1998 onwards (until 2010)

For 2002 to 2022, see China national under-23 football team

EAFF East Asian Cup

Year Result Pld W D* L GF GA
Japan 2003 Third place 3 1 0 2 3 4
South Korea 2005 Champions 3 1 2 0 5 3
China 2008 Third place 3 1 0 2 5 5
Japan 2010 Champions 3 2 1 0 5 0
South Korea 2013 Runners-up 3 1 2 0 7 6
China 2015 Runners-up 3 1 1 1 3 3
Japan 2017 Third place 3 0 2 1 4 5
South Korea 2019 Third place 3 1 0 2 3 3
Japan 2022 Third place 3 1 1 1 1 3
Total 9/9 27 9 9 9 36 32

Head-to-head record

Since 1924

As of 19 November 2024 after match against  Japan.

      Positive Record       Neutral Record       Negative Record

Nations First Played Played Win Draw Loss Goals For Goals Against Goal Diff Win Percentage Confederation
 Afghanistan 1984 1 1 0 0 6 0 +6 100% AFC
 Albania 1973 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0% UEFA
 Algeria 2004 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100% CAF
 Andorra 2004 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0% UEFA
 Argentina 1984 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100% CONMEBOL
 Australia 1927 16 5 3 8 23 30 −7 31.25% AFC
 Bahrain 1986 8 4 4 0 15 8 +7 50% AFC
 Bangladesh 1980 5 5 0 0 15 0 +15 100% AFC
 Bhutan 2015 2 2 0 0 18 0 +18 100% AFC
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1997 1 1 0 0 3 0 +3 100% UEFA
 Botswana 2009 1 1 0 0 4 1 +3 100% CAF
 Brazil 2002 3 0 1 2 0 12 −12 0% CONMEBOL
 Brunei 1975 3 3 0 0 22 1 +21 100% AFC
 Cambodia 1963 5 5 0 0 21 2 +19 100% AFC
 Canada 1986 2 2 0 0 3 0 +3 100% CONCACAF
 Chile 2003 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0% CONMEBOL
 Colombia 1995 4 1 1 2 4 8 −4 25% CONMEBOL
 Costa Rica 2002 5 1 2 2 6 8 −2 20% CONCACAF
 Croatia 2017 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0% UEFA
 Cuba 1971 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100% CONCACAF
 Czech Republic 2018 1 0 0 1 1 4 −3 0% UEFA
 Egypt 1963 2 0 1 1 0 2 −2 0% CAF
 El Salvador 2008 1 0 1 0 2 2 0 0% CONCACAF
 England 1936 2 0 0 2 0 5 −5 0% UEFA
 Estonia 2003 2 2 0 0 4 0 +4 100% UEFA
 Finland 1952 4 3 0 1 6 7 −1 75% UEFA
 France 2006 2 1 0 1 2 3 −1 50% UEFA
 Germany 2005 2 0 1 1 1 2 −1 0% UEFA
 Ghana 1978 2 1 1 0 3 1 +2 50% CAF
 Guam 2000 3 3 0 0 33 0 +33 100% AFC
 Guinea 1972 2 1 1 0 6 3 +3 50% CAF
 Haiti 2003 2 0 1 1 5 6 −1 0% CONCACAF
 Honduras 2006 3 1 1 1 3 1 +2 33.33% CONCACAF
 Hong Kong 1975 27 18 7 2 48 7 +21 66.67% AFC
 Hungary 2004 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 100% UEFA
 Iceland 2017 1 0 0 1 0 2 −2 0% UEFA
 India 1936 14 8 5 1 24 7 +17 57.14% AFC
 Indonesia 1934 18 12 3 3 44 15 +29 66.67% AFC
 Iran 1976 25 5 7 13 21 43 −22 20% AFC
 Iraq 1976 19 7 3 9 19 19 0 36.84% AFC
 Italy 1986 1 0 0 1 0 2 −2 0% UEFA
 Jamaica 1977 3 3 0 0 5 0 +5 100% CONCACAF
 Japan 1925 38 12 9 17 53 55 –2 31.58% AFC
 Jordan 1984 12 6 5 1 25 9 +16 50% AFC
 Kazakhstan 1997 3 2 0 1 5 2 +3 66.67% UEFA
 North Korea 1960 21 10 6 5 28 19 +9 47.62% AFC
 South Korea 1978 38 2 13 23 26 56 −30 5.26% AFC
 Kuwait 1975 18 8 5 5 24 16 +8 44.44% AFC
 Kyrgyzstan 2009 2 2 0 0 5 1 +4 100% AFC
 Laos 2011 2 2 0 0 13 3 +10 100% AFC
 Latvia 2010 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100% UEFA
 Lebanon 1998 6 4 2 0 13 1 +12 66.67% AFC
 Macau 1978 6 6 0 0 25 3 +22 100% AFC
 Malaysia 1948 15 10 4 1 35 8 +27 66.67% AFC
 Maldives 2001 6 6 0 0 28 1 +27 100% AFC
 Mali 1963 3 2 0 1 8 4 +4 66.67% CAF
 Mexico 1987 3 0 0 3 2 7 −5 0% CONCACAF
 Myanmar 1956 11 9 0 2 35 4 +31 81.82% AFC
   Nepal 1972 4 4 0 0 31 2 +29 100% AFC
 Netherlands 1996 2 0 0 2 0 4 −4 0% UEFA
 New Zealand 1975 13 3 5 5 11 12 −1 23.08% OFC
 North Macedonia 2004 5 3 2 0 4 0 +4 60% UEFA
 Norway 1992 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 100% UEFA
 Oman 1998 10 4 1 5 15 13 +2 40% AFC
 Pakistan 1963 9 5 2 2 23 10 +13 55.56% AFC
 Palestine 1966 7 5 2 0 17 2 +15 71.43% AFC
 Papua New Guinea 1985 2 1 1 0 5 2 +3 50% OFC
 Paraguay 1996 3 1 1 1 3 4 −1 33.33% CONMEBOL
 Peru 1978 2 1 0 1 4 3 +1 50% CONMEBOL
 Philippines 1925 13 12 1 0 50 3 +47 92.31% AFC
 Poland 1984 2 0 0 2 0 2 −2 0% UEFA
 Portugal 2002 1 0 0 1 0 2 −2 0% UEFA
 Qatar 1978 21 9 5 7 24 17 +7 42.86% AFC
 Republic of Ireland 1984 2 0 0 2 0 2 −2 0% UEFA
 Romania 1959 3 1 0 2 3 5 −2 33.33% UEFA
 Russia 1959 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 0% UEFA
 Saudi Arabia 1978 20 6 5 9 23 28 −5 30% AFC
 Senegal 1972 2 1 1 0 5 2 +3 50% CAF
 Serbia 1956 5 0 0 5 0 11 −11 0% UEFA
 Sierra Leone 1974 1 1 0 0 4 1 +3 100% CAF
 Singapore 1948 18 12 4 2 38 11 +27 66.67% AFC
 Slovenia 2002 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0% UEFA
 Somalia 1972 2 2 0 0 10 5 +5 100% CAF
 South Yemen 1972 2 2 0 0 10 7 +3 100% AFC
 Spain 2005 2 0 0 2 0 4 −4 0% UEFA
 Sri Lanka 1980 2 2 0 0 10 0 +10 100% AFC
 Sweden 2001 3 0 1 2 2 6 −4 0% UEFA
 Switzerland 2006 1 0 0 1 1 4 −3 0% UEFA
 Syria 1966 15 8 2 5 29 14 +15 53.33% AFC
 Tajikistan 1997 6 4 2 0 9 1 +8 66.67% AFC
 Tanzania 1966 3 2 1 0 15 4 +11 66.67% CAF
 Thailand 1948 32 21 5 6 72 25 +47 65.63% AFC
 Trinidad and Tobago 2001 2 2 0 0 7 2 +5 100% CONCACAF
 Tunisia 1988 2 0 2 0 1 1 0 0% CAF
 Turkey 1948 2 0 0 2 0 7 −7 0% UEFA
 Turkmenistan 1994 4 3 1 0 10 3 +7 75% AFC
 United Arab Emirates 1984 11 5 5 1 16 6 +10 45.45% AFC
 United States 1948 9 2 2 5 10 19 −9 22.22% CONCACAF
 Uruguay 1982 6 1 2 3 2 9 −7 16.67% CONMEBOL
 Uzbekistan 1994 14 5 1 8 15 21 −6 35.71% AFC
 Venezuela 1978 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100% CONMEBOL
 Vietnam 1960 12 11 0 1 33 11 +22 91.67% AFC
 Wales 2018 1 0 0 1 0 6 −6 0% UEFA
 Yemen 1966 5 3 1 1 11 1 +10 60% AFC
 Zambia 1972 1 0 1 0 3 3 0 0% CAF
 Zimbabwe 1997 1 1 0 0 3 1 +2 100% CAF
Total (105) 1925 658 324 145 199 1179 731 +448 49.24%

1913–1923

All matches before the founding of Chinese Football Association in 1924 are not counted as A-level match by FIFA:
Nations First Played Played Win Draw Loss Goals For Goals Against Goal Diff Win Percentage Confederation
 Australia 1923 6 1 1 4 9 19 −10 16.67% AFC
 Japan 1917 3 3 0 0 14 1 +13 100% AFC
 Hong Kong 1923 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0% AFC
 Philippines 1913 10 6 2 2 15 6 +9 60% AFC
Total (4) 1913 20 10 4 6 39 27 +12 50%

Honours

Continental

  • AFC Asian Cup
    • 2 Runners-up (2): 1984, 2004
    • 3 Third place (2): 1976, 1992
  • Asian Games
    • 2 Silver medal (1): 1994
    • 3 Bronze medal (2): 1978, 1998

Regional

  • EAFF E-1 Football Championship
    • 1 Winners (2): 2005, 2010
    • 2 Runners-up (2): 2013, 2015
    • 3 Third place (5): 2003, 2008, 2017, 2019, 2022
  • Far Eastern Games
    • 1 Gold medal (9): 1915, 1917, 1919, 1921, 1923, 1925, 1927, 1930 (shared), 1934
    • 2 Silver medal (1): 1913
  • Dynasty Cup
    • 2 Runners-up (2): 1990, 1998

Friendly

  • China China Cup
    • 3 Third place (1): 2017
  • Malaysia Dunhill Cup
    • 1 Winners (1): 1997
    • 2 Runners-up (1): 1999
  • China Four Nations Tournament
    • 1 Winners (2): January 2000, September 2000
    • 3 Third place (1): 2001
  • Thailand King's Cup
    • 1 Winners (1): 1993
    • 2 Runners-up (1): 2001
    • 3 Third place (1): 1980 (shared)
  • Japan Kirin Cup
    • 3 Third place (1): 1984 (shared)
  • Hong Kong Lunar New Year Cup
    • 1 Winners (1): 1978
    • 2 Runners-up (2): 1989, 1990
  • Singapore Merlion Cup
    • 1 Winners (1): 1986
    • 3 Third place (1): 1983
  • Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam International Cup
    • 1 Winners (1): 1986
  • India Nehru Cup
    • 2 Runners-up (4): 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986
    • 3 Third place (1): 1997

Summary

Competition 1 2 3 Total
AFC Asian Cup 0 2 2 4
Asian Games 0 1 2 3
EAFF E-1 Football Championship 2 2 5 9
Far Eastern Games 9 1 0 10
Dynasty Cup 0 2 0 2
Total 11 8 9 28

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de China para niños

  • Sport in China
    • Football in China
      • Women's football in China
  • China national football B team
  • China national under-23 football team
  • China national under-20 football team
  • China national under-17 football team
  • China national futsal team
  • China national under-20 futsal team
  • China national beach soccer team
  • China women's national football team
  • Chinese referees in FIFA competitions
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