Japan Dominates⁤ China 7-0 in 2026 World Cup Qualifier

Japan’s national football team ​secured a resounding 7-0⁤ victory over⁤ China in the first round of the third round of Asian qualifiers⁤ for the 2026 World Cup, held in Saitama ‍on Thursday.

After a⁢ period of ⁣absence due to injury, Brighton’s English ‌winger Kaoru Mitoma made a triumphant return, scoring the second goal ​in stoppage time‌ of the first half, assisted by Rizzo Doan.

Liverpool player Wataru Endo gave the ⁤hosts the lead with an ‌unmarked header ‌from a corner kick past goalkeeper Wang Dali in the‌ 12th minute.

Takumi Minamino, Monaco’s French winger, scored two goals ‍in the second half, ⁢manipulating the defense in the 52nd and 58th minutes, effectively⁣ eliminating China’s hopes.

Junia Ito, the French player from Reims, added the fifth⁢ goal in the 77th ⁢minute, marking his return to ⁣the team since the Asian Cup.

The pair, Scottish Celtic player Daizen Maeda ‌and Real Sociedad’s⁢ Spanish winger Takefusa Kubo, completed the scoring with goals in the​ 87th and 90+5 minutes, respectively.

Japan has⁤ been a regular at the World Cup since 1998, with its⁤ best ⁣results being reaching the round of 16 on home soil in the 2002, 2010, ⁤2018, and 2022 editions.

Japan currently tops Group ​Three on goal difference against Bahrain, who secured a historic 1-0 win over⁣ Australia. The final match of ‌the round in Group ⁢Three ​between Saudi Arabia and hosts ‌Indonesia will be ‌played later in‌ Jeddah.

The 18 teams that qualified from the second round were divided into three groups, with​ the champions and runners-up qualifying after ten rounds until June 2025. A further two spots​ are available⁢ in the⁣ fourth round for the six third- and fourth-placed teams, with the potential to reach the nine ⁣finalists via global playoffs.