China national football team

This article 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.
China
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) 龙之队 (Dragon's Team)
Association Chinese Football Association (CFA)
Confederation AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation EAFF (East Asia)
Head coach Aleksandar Janković
Captain Wu Xi
Most caps Li Weifeng (112)
Top scorer Hao Haidong (39)
Home stadium Various
FIFA code CHN
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 79 Steady (21 December 2023)
Highest 37 (December 1998)
Lowest 109 (March 2013)
First international
United States 2–1 China
(Manila, Philippines; 1 February 1913)
Biggest win
China 21–0 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 12 (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 People's Republic of 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 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.

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

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

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 in China, the Chinese stumbled to a shock 1–3 away loss to Vietnam in Hanoi, officially extending China's hunt for a second World Cup appearance to 24 years. This agonising defeat, the first in Chinese football history to its southern neighbour on a special day for both nations, triggered widespread public criticism and condemnation among Chinese fans. With their World Cup hopes completely 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.

Aleksandar Janković's 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. Within the leadership of the Serbian, 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 impressive 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.

Team image

The team is colloquially termed "Dragon's 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; lit. '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 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
Adidas 1991–2014
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.

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.

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.

Until 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

23 March 2023 Friendly New Zealand 0–0 China Auckland, New Zealand
19:00 UTC+13 Report Stadium: Mount Smart Stadium
Attendance: 12,049
Referee: Sivakorn Pu-udom (Thailand)
26 March 2023 Friendly New Zealand 2–1 China Wellington, New Zealand
16:00 UTC+13
Report
Stadium: Sky Stadium
Referee: Kim Woo-sung (South Korea)
16 June 2023 Friendly China 4–0 Myanmar Dalian, China
18:30 UTC+8
Report Stadium: Dalian Barracuda Bay Football Stadium
Attendance: 27,651
Referee: Ryo Tanimoto (Japan)
20 June 2023 Friendly China 2–0 Palestine Dalian, China
19:35 UTC+8
Report Stadium: Dalian Barracuda Bay Football Stadium
Attendance: 16,151
Referee: Yudai Yamamoto (Japan)
9 September 2023 Friendly China 1–1 Malaysia Chengdu, China
19:35 UTC+8
Report
Stadium: Chengdu Phoenix Hill Football Stadium
Attendance: 26,138
Referee: Abdulhadi Al-Ruaile (Qatar)
12 September 2023 Friendly China 0–1 Syria Chengdu, China
19:35 UTC+8 Report
Stadium: Chengdu Phoenix Hill Football Stadium
Attendance: 12,367
Referee: Sami Al-Jires (Saudi Arabia)
10 October 2023 Friendly China 2–0 Vietnam Dalian, China
19:35 UTC+8
Report Stadium: Dalian Sports Centre Stadium
Attendance: 9,219
Referee: Woo Chun Sing (Hong Kong)
16 October 2023 Friendly China 1–2 Uzbekistan Dalian, China
19:35 UTC+8
Report
Stadium: Dalian Sports Centre Stadium
Attendance: 12,868
Referee: Tam Ping Wun (Hong Kong)
16 November 2023 World Cup qualification Thailand 1–2 China Bangkok, Thailand
19:30 UTC+7
Report
Stadium: Rajamangala Stadium
Attendance: 35,009
Referee: Salman Falahi (Qatar)
21 November 2023 World Cup qualification China 0–3 South Korea Shenzhen, China
20:00 UTC+8 Report
Stadium: Shenzhen Universiade Sports Centre Stadium
Attendance: 39,969
Referee: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar)
29 December 2023 Friendly Oman 2–0 China Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
19:15 UTC+4
Stadium: Baniyas Stadium
Referee: Yahya Mohammed Ali Hassan Al-Mulla (United Arab Emirates)

2024

1 January 2024 Friendly China 1–2 Hong Kong Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
17:30 UTC+4
Stadium: Baniyas Stadium
Attendance: 0
Referee: Yahya Mohammed Ali Hassan Al-Mulla (United Arab Emirates)
13 January 2024 AFC Asian Cup China v Tajikistan Doha, Qatar
17:30 UTC+3 Stadium: Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium
17 January 2024 AFC Asian Cup Lebanon v China Doha, Qatar
14:30 UTC+3 Stadium: Al Thumama Stadium
22 January 2024 AFC Asian Cup Qatar v China Al Rayyan, Qatar
18:00 UTC+3 Stadium: Khalifa International Stadium
21 March 2024 World Cup qualification Singapore v China Kallang, Singapore
--:--  Report Stadium: National Stadium
26 March 2024 World Cup qualification China v Singapore China
--:-- UTC+8 Report
6 June 2024 World Cup qualification China v Thailand China
--:-- UTC+8 Report
11 June 2024 World Cup qualification South Korea v China South Korea
--:-- UTC+9 Report
  • 1 : Non FIFA 'A' international match

Coaching staff

Source
Position Name
Technical director Gao Hongbo
Head coach Aleksandar Janković
Team manager Qi Jun
Assistant coach Marko Perović
Dejan Đurđević
Shao Jiayi
Zheng Zhi
Goalkeeper coach Ou Chuliang
Li Leilei
Conditioning coach Irwing De Freitas
Fitness coach Hu Yu
Video analyst Jiang Yong
Zhang Bin
Match analyst Sui Han
Therapists Jin Ri
Jiang Wenyu
Hang Yanrui
Manager Wang Yue
Logistics Yang Hao
Chen Xi
Doctor Wang Shucheng
Team coordinator Yuan Jiayang

Coaching history

1930–1948

1951–present

As of 13.October 2023

Players

Current squad

The following 26 players were called up for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in January 2024.

Caps and goals are correct as of 1 January 2024, after the match against Hong Kong.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 GK Yan Junling 28 January 1991 53 0 Shanghai Port
12 GK Jian Tao 22 June 2001 0 0 Chengdu Rongcheng
14 GK Wang Dalei 10 January 1989 28 0 Shandong Taishan
25 GK Liu Dianzuo 25 June 1990 4 0 Wuhan Three Towns
2 DF Tyias Browning 30 May 1994 21 1 Shanghai Port
3 DF Zhu Chenjie 23 August 2000 23 1 Shanghai Shenhua
4 DF Li Lei 30 May 1992 12 0 Beijing Guoan
5 DF Zhang Linpeng 9 May 1989 101 6 Shanghai Port
13 DF Xu Haofeng 27 January 1999 4 0 Shenzhen
19 DF Liu Yang 17 June 1995 22 0 Shandong Taishan
22 DF Wu Shaocong 20 March 2000 7 0 Gençlerbirliği
24 DF Jiang Shenglong 24 December 2000 6 0 Shanghai Shenhua
6 MF Wang Shangyuan 2 June 1993 12 1 Henan
8 MF Xu Xin 19 April 1994 13 1 Shanghai Port
10 MF Xie Pengfei 29 June 1993 13 0 Wuhan Three Towns
15 MF Wu Xi (captain) 19 February 1989 88 9 Shanghai Shenhua
16 MF Gao Tianyi 1 July 1998 4 0 Beijing Guoan
17 MF Chen Pu 15 January 1997 7 0 Shandong Taishan
18 MF Dai Wai Tsun 25 July 1999 12 0 Shanghai Shenhua
21 MF Liu Binbin 16 June 1993 18 1 Shandong Taishan
23 MF Lin Liangming 4 June 1997 7 2 Dalian Pro
26 MF Wang Qiuming 9 January 1993 5 1 Tianjin Jinmen Tiger
7 FW Wu Lei 19 November 1991 91 32 Shanghai Port
9 FW Zhang Yuning 5 January 1997 25 5 Beijing Guoan
11 FW Tan Long 1 April 1988 17 3 Changchun Yatai
20 FW Wei Shihao 8 April 1995 26 3 Wuhan Three Towns

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 Ma Zhen 1 June 1998 0 0 Shanghai Shenhua v. Uzbekistan, 16 October 2023
DF Yeljan Shinar 9 June 1999 1 0 Nantong Zhiyun v. Vietnam, 10 October 2023
DF He Yupeng 5 December 1999 5 0 Dalian Pro v. Uzbekistan, 16 October 2023
DF Wang Shenchao 8 February 1989 21 0 Shanghai Port v. Syria, 12 September 2023
DF Deng Hanwen 8 January 1995 15 0 Wuhan Three Towns v. Syria, 12 September 2023
DF Gao Zhunyi 21 August 1995 14 0 Wuhan Three Towns v. Syria, 12 September 2023
DF Li Shuai 18 June 1995 2 0 Shanghai Port v. Syria, 12 September 2023
DF Ming Tian 8 April 1995 5 0 Tianjin Jinmen Tiger v. Palestine, 20 June 2023
DF Ren Hang 23 February 1989 32 1 Wuhan Three Towns v. New Zealand, 23 March 2023INJ
DF Liu Yiming 28 February 1995 13 0 Wuhan Three Towns v. New Zealand, 23 March 2023
DF Li Ang 15 September 1993 8 0 Shanghai Port v. New Zealand, 23 March 2023
MF Li Ke 24 May 1993 12 0 Beijing Guoan 2023 AFC Asian CupWD
MF Zhang Jiaqi 9 December 1991 7 0 Zhejiang v. Syria, 12 September 2023
MF Sun Guowen 30 September 1993 4 0 Shandong Taishan v. Syria, 12 September 2023
MF He Chao 19 April 1995 7 0 Wuhan Three Towns v. New Zealand, 23 March 2023
FW Ai Kesen 13 July 1989 18 4 Chengdu Rongcheng v. Uzbekistan, 16 October 2023
FW Fang Hao 3 January 2000 5 0 Beijing Guoan v. Uzbekistan, 16 October 2023
FW Wang Ziming 5 August 1996 5 0 Beijing Guoan v. Syria, 12 September 2023
FW Ba Dun 16 September 1995 3 1 Tianjin Jinmen Tiger v. Syria, 12 September 2023
FW Xie Weijun 14 November 1997 1 0 Tianjin Jinmen Tiger v. Vietnam, 10 October 2023

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

Individual records

As of 21 November 2023.
Players in bold are still active with China.

Manager records

Most manager appearances
Gao Fengwen: 56 (1986-1990)

Team records

Biggest victory
19–0 vs. Guam, 26 January 2000

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 GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
1930 Did not enter Declined participation
1934
1938
1950
1954
1958 Did not qualify 3 1 1 1 4 5
1962 Did not enter Declined participation
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982 Did not qualify 12 7 2 3 19 8
1986 6 4 1 1 23 2
1990 11 7 0 4 18 9
1994 8 6 0 2 18 4
1998 14 8 3 3 24 16
2002 Group stage 31st 3 0 0 3 0 9 14 12 1 1 38 5
2006 Did not qualify 6 5 0 1 14 1
2010 8 3 3 2 14 4
2014 8 5 0 3 23 9
2018 18 8 5 5 35 11
2022 18 7 4 7 39 22
2026 To be determined 1 1 0 0 2 1
2030 To be determined
2034
Total Group stage 1/22 3 0 0 3 0 9 127 74 20 33 271 97

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
1956 Did not enter Did not enter
1960 Did not enter Did not enter
1964 Did not enter Did not enter
1968 Did not enter Did not enter
1972 Did not enter Did not enter
1976 Third place 3rd 4 1 1 2 2 4 5 4 0 1 14 4
1980 Group stage 7th 4 1 1 2 9 5 3 2 0 1 5 2
1984 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 0 2 11 4 4 4 0 0 15 0
1988 Fourth place 4th 6 2 2 2 7 5 5 2 3 0 10 1
1992 Third place 3rd 5 1 3 1 6 6 3 3 0 0 7 0
1996 Quarter-finals 8th 4 1 0 3 6 7 3 3 0 0 16 1
2000 Fourth place 4th 6 2 2 2 11 7 3 3 0 0 29 0
2004 Runners-up 2nd 6 3 2 1 13 6 Qualified as hosts
2007 Group stage 9th 3 1 1 1 7 6 6 3 2 1 7 3
2011 9th 3 1 1 1 4 4 6 4 1 1 13 5
2015 Quarter-finals 7th 4 3 0 1 5 4 6 2 2 2 5 6
2019 6th 5 3 0 2 7 7 8 5 2 1 27 1
2023 Qualified 8 6 1 1 30 3
2027 To be determined To be determined
Total 13/18 0 Titles 56 23 13 20 88 65 58 39 11 8 166 26


Summer Olympics

Year Result Pos Pld W D L GF GA
1900 to 1928 Did not enter
1936 First round 12 1 0 0 1 0 2
1948 14 1 0 0 1 0 4
1952 to 1956 Withdrew after qualifying
1960 to 1976 Not an IOC member
1980 to 1984 Did not qualify
1988 First round 14 3 0 1 2 0 5
Total 3/25 - 5 0 1 4 0 11

For 1992 to 2016, see China national under-23 football team

Asian Games

Year Result Rank Pld W D L GF GA
1951 Did not enter
1954 Did not enter
1958 Did not enter
1962 Did not enter
1966 Did not enter
1970 Did not enter
1974 First round 10 3 1 0 2 7 4
1978 Third place 3 7 5 0 2 16 5
1982 Quarter-finals 7 4 2 1 1 4 3
1986 8 4 2 1 1 10 7
1990 6 4 2 0 2 8 4
1994 Runners-up 2 7 5 1 1 16 8
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 2018, see China national under-23 football team

EAFF East Asian Cup

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

Head-to-head record

As of 29 December 2023 after match against Oman

  Positive Record   Neutral Record   Negative Record

1913–1923

All matches before the founding of Chinese Football Association in 1924 are not counted as A-level match by FIFA:

Honours

Continental

Regional

Minor tournaments

See also