China fail to qualify for 2026 FIFA World Cup after loss to Indonesia

China's hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup were extinguished on Thursday night following a 1-0 loss to Indonesia in their crucial Asian Football Confederation (AFC) qualifying Group C game in Jakarta.

Just before the interval, China's right-back Yang Zexiang fouled Indonesia's midfielder Ricky Kambuaya inside the penalty area. Oxford United forward Ole Romeny stepped up to convert the spot-kick past goalkeeper Wang Dalei in the 45th minute.

Despite opportunities from 18-year-old Wang Yudong, who tested Indonesia's goalkeeper in both halves, China failed to find an equalizer. Meanwhile, the visitors' task grew harder when defender Han Pengfei sustained a first-half injury.

With only one game remaining, China cannot finish in the top four of Group C. The team now sits bottom of the group with six points from nine games, while Indonesia climb to third with 12 points. Only the top two teams in each six-team group will directly qualify for the World Cup, with third and fourth-placed moving to another phase of qualifying.

Japan and Iran have already qualified from Asia for the 48-team tournament set to take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

As the head coach of China, Branko Ivankovic said after the game that he will take full responsibility for the team's failure.

"This team has been fighting for this goal for over 20 years," Ivankovic said. "We believed that if we could reach the next stage from this tough group, we would have a strong chance of qualifying. But we didn't succeed, and as head coach, I definitely bear significant responsibility."

Ivankovic, who took over the national team just over a year ago, emphasized the progress made during his tenure, particularly the focus on youth development.

"We've brought in a younger generation of players who have injected energy into the team," he added. "Based on their performances, I believe this team has a promising future. Indonesia has added new talent, including both naturalized and local players," he said. "They're young, strong, and showed great quality today."