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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 Dejan Đurđević (caretaker)
Captain Zhang Yuning
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 E-1 Football Championship
Appearances 9 (first in 2003)
Best result Champions (2005, 2010)

The China national football team, also known as China PR by FIFA, represents China in men's international association football. The Chinese Football Association (CFA) manages the team.

China has won the EAFF East Asian Cup twice, in 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up at the AFC Asian Cup in 1984 and 2004. The team has played in the FIFA World Cup only once, in 2002.

History of Chinese Football

Early Days (1913–1949)

Chinese olympic football team 1936
The Chinese Olympic football team in Berlin, 1936.

China's first international football match was in 1913. This game was part of the Far Eastern Championship Games, an event similar to today's Asian Games. The team that represented China was the winner of the Chinese National Games, which was the South China Football Club.

In their first game on February 4, 1913, China lost 2–1 to the Philippines national football team. However, China quickly became a strong team in the region. They won a total of nine championships in the Far Eastern Games.

The Chinese Football Association was created in 1924 and joined FIFA in 1931. China and Japan were the first Asian teams to play football at the Summer Olympics. They competed in the 1936 Olympics in Germany. China was knocked out in their first game, losing 2–0 to Great Britain.

After World War II, China played in the 1948 Summer Olympics. They lost 4–0 to Turkey national football team. After this, the team split into two due to political changes in China. One team became the People's Republic of China national football team, and the other became the Chinese Taipei national football team.

The People's Republic Era (1950–1979)

The new People's Republic of China reformed its football association. FIFA recognized their membership again in 1952. China's first official game as the People's Republic of China was a friendly match against Finland national football team on August 4, 1952, which they lost 4–0.

China stopped playing in FIFA events in 1958 because of a disagreement about which team represented "China." For many years, they only played friendly matches with countries that recognized their government. In 1971, the United Nations recognized the People's Republic of China. This led to China rejoining the Asian Football Confederation in 1974 and FIFA in 1979.

After rejoining, China played in the 1974 Asian Games. They also finished third in the 1976 AFC Asian Cup.

Becoming Asian Underdogs (1980–2009)

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

China tried to qualify for the 1982 World Cup but lost a play-off game. In 1985, they needed a draw against Hong Kong to advance in the 1986 World Cup qualifiers. However, Hong Kong won 2–1, causing disappointment among fans. China also came close to qualifying for the 1990 World Cup but lost in the final minutes of their last group match.

In 2000, China appointed Serbian coach Bora Milutinović. Under his leadership, China's performance improved. They finished fourth in the 2000 AFC Asian Cup. This boosted their confidence, and in the 2002 World Cup qualifiers, China played very well. They won most of their games, including an important 1–0 victory over Oman. This allowed them to reach the 2002 FIFA World Cup, their first and only World Cup appearance so far.

At the 2002 World Cup, China was eliminated after three matches. They did not score any goals or earn any points.

China hosted the 2004 AFC Asian Cup. They reached the final but lost 3–1 to Japan. This match was watched by about 250 million people in China, making it the most-watched sports event in the country at that time.

After winning the 2005 East Asian Football Championship, China faced criticism for their performance in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. They struggled against Singapore, only scoring one goal from a penalty. In the 2007 Asian Cup, China won one game, drew one, and lost one, failing to meet expectations.

In 2008, China did not qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Recent Years (2010–Present)

In 2009, Gao Hongbo became the new manager. He tried to change the team's playing style to focus more on short passes. However, he was replaced by José Antonio Camacho in 2011.

Coaching Changes and Challenges

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

José Antonio Camacho was hired to help China catch up with strong Asian teams like Japan and South Korea. However, under his coaching, China suffered its biggest international defeat, an 8–0 loss to Brazil in 2012. This also led to China's lowest-ever FIFA ranking. Camacho was later replaced after a 5–1 friendly loss to Thailand.

In 2015, China's leader, Xi Jinping, set a goal for the men's national team to be the best in Asia by 2030 and the best in the world by 2050.

Alain Perrin became coach and helped China qualify for the knockout stage of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup for the first time since 2004. They won all three group games but lost to Australia in the quarter-finals.

However, China struggled in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, drawing twice with Hong Kong and losing to Qatar. Perrin was fired, and Gao Hongbo returned as coach. Gao led the team to the final qualifying stage for the World Cup, but after four winless matches, he resigned again.

Lippi's Time and Naturalized Players

THA-CHN 20190120 Asian Cup 22
Chinese players celebrating a win against Thailand at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup Round of 16.

In October 2016, famous Italian coach Marcello Lippi took over. Under Lippi, China beat South Korea for the first time in a FIFA tournament. Despite some improvements, China did not qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

Lippi also coached the team in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. China won two group games and reached the quarter-finals, where they lost to Iran. Lippi then left the team.

To make the team stronger, China started to allow foreign-born players to become Chinese citizens and play for the national team. Players like Elkeson, who is Brazilian, joined the team.

Elkeson
Ai Kesen played his first game for the national football team of China in 2019.

Lippi returned as coach in 2019, but China's journey in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers was difficult. After a surprising 1–2 loss to Syria, Lippi resigned again.

Recent Coaches and World Cup Hopes

Former Chinese player Li Tie became head coach in 2020. He led the team to the third round of the World Cup qualifiers. In this round, China faced strong teams like Japan, Australia, and Saudi Arabia. They had a tough start, losing to Australia and Japan. Despite a 3–2 win over Vietnam and draws with Oman and Australia, Li Tie was replaced in December 2021.

Another former player, Li Xiaopeng, took over. Under him, China lost to Japan and then suffered a shocking 1–3 defeat to Vietnam in February 2022. This loss ended China's hopes of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, meaning they would miss their second World Cup appearance for 24 years.

In 2023, Aleksandar Janković became the permanent coach. He led China to qualify for the final round of the World Cup qualification by a very small margin. However, after a 1–2 friendly loss to Hong Kong in January 2024 and a poor performance in the AFC Asian Cup, Janković was replaced by Branko Ivanković in February 2024.

Ivanković's time as coach ended in June 2025 after the team was eliminated from the World Cup qualifiers. Currently, Dejan Đurđević is the caretaker manager. The team is now playing in the 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship.

Team Identity

Chinese national football team 2011
The national football team of China in 2011.

The China national football team is often called the "Dragon Team" (Lóng zhī duì). Other names include "Team China" or the "National Team" (Guózú).

Their home uniform is usually all red with white or yellow details. The away uniform is typically white with red details. For many years, Adidas made their kits, but since 2015, Nike has been their kit supplier.

Team Rivalries

China vs. Japan

China's biggest football rival is traditionally Japan. This rivalry became very clear after China's 3–1 loss to Japan in the 2004 AFC Asian Cup Final. This match led to some fan unrest due to controversial referee decisions and strong feelings against Japan at the time.

China vs. South Korea

Another rivalry is with South Korea. For a long time, China struggled to beat South Korea, leading to the term "Koreaphobia." However, China finally won against South Korea 3–0 in 2010 during the 2010 East Asian Football Championship, which they went on to win.

China vs. Hong Kong

A rivalry has also grown with Hong Kong. This is due to political tensions and intense matches during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. Hong Kong fans sometimes boo the Chinese national anthem, which both teams share. Both World Cup qualifier matches between them ended in 0–0 draws.

Recent Matches

The following is a list of match results from the last 12 months, and any upcoming matches.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

6 June 2024 (2024-06-06) World Cup qualification R2 China  1–1  Thailand Shenyang, China
20:00 UTC+8
  • Zhang Yuning Goal 79'
  • Supachok Goal 20'
 Stadium: Shenyang Olympic Sports Center Stadium
Attendance: 46,979
Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev (Uzbekistan)
11 June 2024 (2024-06-11) World Cup qualification R2 South Korea  1–0  China Seoul, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9
  • Lee Kang-in Goal 61'
 Stadium: Seoul World Cup Stadium
Attendance: 64,935
Referee: Mohammed Al Hoish (Saudi Arabia)
5 September 2024 (2024-09-05) World Cup qualification R3 Japan  7–0  China Saitama, Japan
19:35 UTC+9
  • Endo Goal 12'
  • Mitoma Goal 45+2'
  • Minamino Goal 52', 58'
  • Itō Goal 77'
  • Maeda Goal 87'
  • Kubo Goal 90+5'
 Stadium: Saitama Stadium 2002
Attendance: 52,398
Referee: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar)
10 September 2024 (2024-09-10) World Cup qualification R3 China  1–2  Saudi Arabia Dalian, China
20:00 UTC+8
  • Lajami Goal 14' (o.g.)
  • Kadesh Goal 39', 90'
 Stadium: Dalian Suoyuwan Football Stadium
Attendance: 48,628
Referee: Nasrullo Kabirov (Tajikistan)
10 October 2024 (2024-10-10) World Cup qualification R3 Australia  3–1  China Adelaide, Australia
19:40 UTC+10:30
  • Miller Goal 45+2'
  • Goodwin Goal 53'
  • Velupillay Goal 90+2'
  • Xie Wenneng Goal 20'
 Stadium: Adelaide Oval
Attendance: 46,291
Referee: Nazmi Nasaruddin (Malaysia)
15 October 2024 (2024-10-15) World Cup qualification R3 China  2–1  Indonesia Qingdao, China
20:00 UTC+8
  • Behram Goal 21'
  • Zhang Yuning Goal 44'
  • Haye Goal 86'
 Stadium: Qingdao Youth Football Stadium
Attendance: 37,133
Referee: Omar Al-Ali (United Arab Emirates)
14 November 2024 (2024-11-14) World Cup qualification R3 Bahrain  0–1  China Riffa, Bahrain
17:00 UTC+3
  • Zhang Yuning Goal 90+1'
 Stadium: Bahrain National Stadium
Attendance: 7,921
Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan)
19 November 2024 (2024-11-19) World Cup qualification R3 China  1–3  Japan Xiamen, China
20:00 UTC+8
  • Lin Liangming Goal 48'
  • Ogawa Goal 39', 54'
  • Itakura Goal 45+6'
 Stadium: Xiamen Egret Stadium
Attendance: 45,336
Referee: Muhammad Taqi (Singapore)

2025 Matches

20 March 2025 (2025-03-20) World Cup qualification R3 Saudi Arabia  1–0  China Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
21:15 UTC+3 S. Al-Dawsari Goal 50' Stadium: King Saud University Stadium
Attendance: 24,742
Referee: Omar Al-Ali (United Arab Emirates)
25 March 2025 (2025-03-25) World Cup qualification R3 China  0–2  Australia Hangzhou, China
19:00 UTC+8
  • Irvine Goal 16'
  • Velupillay Goal 29'
 Stadium: Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium
Attendance: 70,588
Referee: Mooud Bonyadifard (Iran)
5 June 2025 (2025-06-05) World Cup qualification R3 Indonesia  1–0  China Jakarta, Indonesia
20:45 UTC+7 Romeny Goal 45' (pen.) Stadium: Gelora Bung Karno Stadium
Attendance: 69,661
Referee: Rustam Lutfullin (Uzbekistan)
10 June 2025 (2025-06-10) World Cup qualification R3 China  1–0  Bahrain Chongqing, China
19:00 UTC+8
  • Wang Yudong Goal 90+4' (pen.)
 Stadium: Longxing Football Stadium
Attendance: 51,236
Referee: Adel Al-Naqbi (United Arab Emirates)
7 July 2025 (2025-07-07) 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship South Korea  3–0  China Yongin, South Korea
20:00 UTC+9
  • Lee Dong-gyeong Goal 8'
  • Joo Min-kyu Goal 21'
  • Kim Ju-sung Goal 56'
 Stadium: Yongin Mireu Stadium
Attendance: 4,426
Referee: Tuan Yaasin (Malaysia)
12 July 2025 (2025-07-12) 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Japan  2–0  China Yongin, South Korea
19:24 UTC+9 Stadium: Yongin Mireu Stadium
15 July 2025 (2025-07-15) 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship China  1–0  Hong Kong Yongin, South Korea
16:00 UTC+9 Stadium: Yongin Mireu Stadium
  • 1 : Non FIFA 'A' international match

Coaching Staff

Position Name
Technical director China Gao Hongbo
Head coach Serbia Dejan Đurđević (caretaker)
Assistant coaches Sasa Kljajic
Wan Houliang
Goalkeeping coaches Li Leilei
Fitness coaches Xue Shen
Video analysts China Zhang Bin
China Jiang Yong
Match analyst China Sui Han
Doctors China Wang Shucheng
Team coordinator China Yuan Jiayang
Physiotherapists Vacant

Current Players

Current Squad

The following 26 players were called up for the 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship.

Caps and goals are as of 15 July 2025, after the match against Hong Kong.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Yan Junling (1991-01-28) 28 January 1991 (age 34) 60 0 China Shanghai Port
12 1GK Xue Qinghao (2000-09-26) 26 September 2000 (age 24) 0 0 China Shanghai Shenhua
26 1GK Yu Jinyong (2004-07-06) 6 July 2004 (age 21) 0 0 China Shandong Taishan
2 2DF Liu Haofan (2003-10-23) 23 October 2003 (age 21) 1 0 China Zhejiang FC
3 2DF Gao Zhunyi (1995-08-21) 21 August 1995 (age 29) 20 0 China Shandong Taishan
4 2DF Jiang Shenglong (2000-12-24) 24 December 2000 (age 24) 21 0 China Shanghai Shenhua
5 2DF Zhu Chenjie (2000-08-23) 23 August 2000 (age 24) 38 1 China Shanghai Shenhua
13 2DF Wei Zhen (1997-02-12) 12 February 1997 (age 28) 6 0 China Shanghai Port
24 2DF Wang Shiqin (2003-06-24) 24 June 2003 (age 22) 2 0 China Zhejiang FC
25 2DF Umidjan Yusup (2004-02-28) 28 February 2004 (age 21) 2 0 China Shanghai Port
6 3MF Huang Zhengyu (1997-01-24) 24 January 1997 (age 28) 7 1 China Shandong Taishan
7 3MF Xu Haoyang (1999-01-15) 15 January 1999 (age 26) 9 0 China Shanghai Shenhua
8 3MF Xu Xin (1994-04-19) 19 April 1994 (age 31) 19 1 China Shanghai Port
11 3MF Serginho (1995-03-15) 15 March 1995 (age 30) 6 0 China Beijing Guoan
14 3MF Gao Tianyi (1998-07-01) 1 July 1998 (age 27) 8 0 China Shanghai Shenhua
16 3MF Ba Dun (1995-09-16) 16 September 1995 (age 29) 6 1 China Tianjin Jinmen Tiger
17 3MF Kuai Jiwen (2006-02-28) 28 February 2006 (age 19) 2 0 China Shanghai Port
18 3MF Liao Jintao (2000-02-24) 24 February 2000 (age 25) 1 0 China Dalian Yingbo
19 3MF Cao Yongjing (1997-02-15) 15 February 1997 (age 28) 5 0 China Beijing Guoan
23 3MF Xie Wenneng (2001-02-06) 6 February 2001 (age 24) 13 1 China Shandong Taishan
9 4FW Zhang Yuning (1997-01-05) 5 January 1997 (age 28) 45 8 China Beijing Guoan
10 4FW Wei Shihao (1995-04-08) 8 April 1995 (age 30) 39 4 China Chengdu Rongcheng
15 4FW Wang Yudong (2006-11-23) 23 November 2006 (age 18) 7 1 China Zhejiang FC
20 4FW Wang Ziming (1996-08-05) 5 August 1996 (age 28) 11 0 China Beijing Guoan
21 4FW Tao Qianglong (2001-11-20) 20 November 2001 (age 23) 5 0 China Zhejiang FC
22 4FW Liu Chengyu (2006-07-02) 2 July 2006 (age 19) 3 0 China Shanghai Shenhua

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 Liu Dianzuo (1990-06-25) 25 June 1990 (age 35) 4 0 China Chengdu Rongcheng v.  Bahrain, 10 June 2025
GK Wang Dalei (Captain) (1989-01-10) 10 January 1989 (age 36) 43 0 China Shandong Taishan v.  Bahrain, 10 June 2025
GK Han Jiaqi (1999-07-03) 3 July 1999 (age 26) 3 0 China Beijing Guoan March 2025 training camp
GK Jian Tao (2001-06-22) 22 June 2001 (age 24) 0 0 China Chengdu Rongcheng January 2025 training camp
GK Bao Yaxiong (1997-05-23) 23 May 1997 (age 28) 0 0 China Shanghai Shenhua September 2024 training camp
DF Wu Shaocong (2000-03-20) 20 March 2000 (age 25) 7 0 China Beijing Guoan 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship INJ
DF Tyias Browning (1994-05-27) 27 May 1994 (age 31) 35 1 China Shanghai Port v.  Bahrain, 10 June 2025
DF Li Lei (1992-05-30) 30 May 1992 (age 33) 20 0 China Beijing Guoan v.  Bahrain, 10 June 2025
DF Yang Zexiang (1994-12-14) 14 December 1994 (age 30) 8 0 China Shanghai Shenhua v.  Bahrain, 10 June 2025
DF Han Pengfei (1993-04-28) 28 April 1993 (age 32) 4 0 China Chengdu Rongcheng v.  Bahrain, 10 June 2025
DF Hu Hetao (2003-10-05) 5 October 2003 (age 21) 5 0 China Chengdu Rongcheng v.  Indonesia, 5 June 2025INJ
DF Wang Zhen'ao (1999-08-10) 10 August 1999 (age 25) 1 0 China Shanghai Port March 2025 training camp
DF Liu Yang (1995-06-17) 17 June 1995 (age 30) 32 0 China Shandong Taishan v.  Australia, 10 October 2024
MF Wang Shangyuan (1993-06-02) 2 June 1993 (age 32) 28 1 China Henan FC v.  Bahrain, 10 June 2025
MF Yang Mingyang (1995-07-11) 11 July 1995 (age 30) 0 0 China Chengdu Rongcheng v.  Bahrain, 10 June 2025
MF John Hou Sæter (1998-01-13) 13 January 1998 (age 27) 0 0 China Yunnan Yukun v.  Bahrain, 10 June 2025
MF Wang Haijian (2000-08-02) 2 August 2000 (age 24) 4 0 China Shanghai Shenhua v.  Australia, 25 March 2025
MF Li Yuanyi (1993-08-28) 28 August 1993 (age 31) 9 0 China Shandong Taishan v.  Saudi Arabia, 20 March 2025
MF Xu Bin (2004-05-02) 2 May 2004 (age 21) 0 0 China Qingdao West Coast March 2025 training camp
MF Mewlan Mijit (2004-01-27) 27 January 2004 (age 21) 0 0 China Shandong Taishan January 2025 training camp
MF Cheng Jin (1995-02-18) 18 February 1995 (age 30) 2 0 China Zhejiang FC v.  Indonesia, 15 October 2024
FW Lin Liangming (1997-06-04) 4 June 1997 (age 28) 18 3 China Beijing Guoan v.  Bahrain, 10 June 2025
FW Liu Zhurun (2001-10-06) 6 October 2001 (age 23) 2 0 China Dalian Yingbo v.  Bahrain, 10 June 2025
FW Liu Ruofan (1999-01-28) 28 January 1999 (age 26) 0 0 China Shanghai Port v.  Indonesia, 5 June 2025INJ
FW Wu Lei (1991-11-19) 19 November 1991 (age 33) 99 36 China Shanghai Port v.  Indonesia, 5 June 2025INJ
FW Behram Abduweli (2003-03-08) 8 March 2003 (age 22) 9 1 China Shenzhen Peng City v.  Australia, 25 March 2025
FW Fernandinho (1993-03-16) 16 March 1993 (age 32) 7 1 Free agent January 2025 training camp
FW Alan (1989-07-10) 10 July 1989 (age 36) 14 3 Free agent v.  Indonesia, 15 October 2024

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 2009–2024
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

Tournament Records

FIFA World Cup

Main article: China at the FIFA World Cup

China has only played in one World Cup, which was in 2002. They finished last in their group, including 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

Team Achievements

Continental Honors

  • AFC Asian Cup
    • 2 Runners-up (2): 1984, 2004
    • 3 Third place (2): 1976, 1992
  • Asian Games1
    • 2 Silver medal (1): 1994
    • 3 Bronze medal (2): 1978, 1998

Regional Honors

  • EAFF East Asian Cup / EAFF E-1 Football Championship
    • 1 Champions (2): 2005, 2010
    • 2 Runners-up (2): 2013, 2015
    • 3 Third place (5): 2003, 2008, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2025
  • Far Eastern Games
    • 1 Gold medal (9): 1915, 1917, 1919, 1921, 1923, 1925, 1927, 1930 (shared), 1934
    • 2 Silver medal (1): 1913

Friendly Tournament Wins

  • Dunhill Cup (1): 1997
  • Four Nations Tournament (2): 2000-I, 2000-II
  • King's Cup (1): 1993
  • Lunar New Year Cup (1): 1978
  • Merlion Cup (1): 1986
  • Quaid-e-Azam International Tournament (1): 1986

Awards

Summary of Official Honors

These are the official honors recognized by FIFA or related football organizations.

Senior Competition 1 2 3 Total
AFC Asian Cup 0 2 2 4
Total 0 2 2 4
Notes
  1. This competition is organized by the OCA and is not officially recognized by FIFA.

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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