Chinese soccer appears to be getting worse despite President Xi’s pledge to make it better

AP Sports Writer

TOKYO (AP) — Japan defeated China’s men’s national team 7-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Saitama, Japan, a brutal loss that came against one of China’s biggest sporting and geopolitcal rivals in Asia. The loss on Thursday was China’s most lopsided against Japan, and a historic loss in World Cup qualifying. China’s national team coach Branko Ivankovic of Croatia called it a “most difficult night.” China has nine more matches to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. It has only qualified for one World Cup. That was in 2002 when it lost all three matches and failed to score a goal.