According to the scheduled fixtures, the national football team of China will face Saudi Arabia, Australia, Indonesia, and Bahrain in their last four matches. If China aims to secure the second or fourth position in the group to advance, it is not enough to solely rely on their own efforts to accumulate points; they must also hope for assistance from their group-mates, Japan.
The two encounters between China and Japan have already concluded, while the remaining four opponents will each face Japan again. This situation presents a hidden advantage for China, as they currently sit at the bottom of the group with only 6 points.
In contrast, Japan has accumulated 16 points after six intense rounds, leading the third-place team by a significant margin of 10 points. Based on various data and performance indicators, Japan appears to have virtually secured their direct qualification for the World Cup.
The renowned prediction website We Global Football, through in-depth analysis and precise calculations, forecasts Japan's probability of qualifying for the World Cup at an astonishing 100%, leaving no room for doubt.
If Japan can defeat Bahrain in their next home match, they will advance to the World Cup finals three rounds early, setting a record for the fastest qualification in their history.
On New Year's Day, a special occasion, Japan's head coach Hajime Moriyasu participated in a meaningful special program.
Regarding the topic of Japan potentially becoming the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, aside from the host nation, Moriyasu shared his thoughts: "Honestly, I usually dislike making such definitive statements, even though I am sweating profusely right now. However, from the beginning, I have been aiming for a perfect victory record in these 18 qualifiers to determine our qualification."
Moriyasu openly acknowledged Japan's goal of maintaining a perfect record in the 18 qualifiers to advance to the World Cup. With this, China can rest assured that in the upcoming three matches against Saudi Arabia, Australia, and Indonesia, even if Japan rotates their squad, they will not intentionally underperform nor collude with other teams to hinder China's advancement.
If China can capitalize on this "assistance" from Japan and muster their morale to win three out of their last four matches, accumulating a total of 15 points, they stand a good chance of advancing to the World Cup alongside Japan.
Chinese football fans' expectations for the national team have never waned. They eagerly await the opportunity for the national team to seize this fleeting moment, hoping that the team will demonstrate unwavering perseverance and determination to bring glory and joy to the nation and its supporters in this critical juncture.