Hey soccer fans! Guess what? China just announced their 32-player soccer squad for some super important World Cup qualifying matches! 🎉 They’re getting ready to face off against Saudi Arabia and Australia. It’s going to be epic!
There are some fresh faces on the team this time. Five players are making their first appearance on the national team. How cool is that? 😮 Three of them are young defenders under 23 years old: Liu Haofan, Wang Shiqin, and Xu Bin. Defense is like the team’s shield, protecting their goal from the other team’s attacks.
But that’s not all! Two young strikers born in 2006, Wang Yudong and Liu Chengyu, are also joining the team for the first time. Strikers are the players who try to score goals. Imagine scoring a goal for your country at such a young age! 🥅⚽
Some big names won’t be playing this time because of injuries. Wu Lei, who was named China’s Footballer of the Year in 2024, and the starting center-back Zhu Chenjie are missing out. Get well soon! 🤕
Also, there’s a player named Hou Yongyong from Yunnan Yukun who might play internationally for the first time. He’s a naturalized striker, which means he was born in another country but now plays for China. Exciting times ahead! 🌟
China’s team, often called Team Dragon, will first play against Saudi Arabia in Riyadh on March 20. Then, they’ll come back home to Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province to play against Australia on March 25. Mark your calendars! 🗓️
Right now, China is at the bottom of Group C with six points. But don’t worry! They have the same points as Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Bahrain. They’re just one point behind Australia, who are in second place. Japan is leading the group with 16 points. There’s still time to catch up! 💪
These matches are super important because they help decide who gets to play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Let’s cheer on Team Dragon as they aim for victory! Go China! 🇨🇳
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
