Photo: VCG

A late penalty by 18-year-old striker Wang Yudong helped the Chinese national team to win 1-0 over Bahrain on Tuesday and avoid finishing bottom in the six-team group in the World Cup Asian qualifiers.

This was the maiden goal for the promising striker in the senior national team, who is also the top domestic scorer in the Chinese Super League.

"We played better and kept seeking for opportunities in the second half. Finally, through everyone's efforts, we earned a penalty. There are many senior players in the team who are also playing their last game for the national team. I hope to celebrate this victory for them," said Wang, who was named Player of the Match.

"But I want to apologize to the fans because we didn't qualify [for the 2026 World Cup]. However, we hope everyone can continue to have expectations for us. Let's meet in 2030!" Wang said, referring to his ambition to participate in the 2030 World Cup.

Tuesday's win ended China's qualifying campaign with three wins and seven defeats over 10 games for the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup, where the berths for Asian teams have increased from 4.5 to 8.5.

Wang, wearing the iconic No.10 jersey for the first time with the senior national team, spearheaded the offense throughout the match. 

Though Wang misfired a drill pass from center forward Zhang Yuning in the 31st minute, the shot was considered the best opportunity for the Chinese team in the first half.  

Wang also made a powerful long shot in the 65th minute, a rare momentum for China's offense, but was denied by Bahrain keeper Ebrahim Lutfalla. Later, a confident Wang dribbled the ball from the left flank to the middle before his shot was denied again by the Bahrain keeper.

Wang Yudong of China scores from the penalty spot during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Group C match between China and Bahrain in Chongqing on June 10, 2025. Photo: VCG

The national team's head coach Branko Ivankovic attributed the win to the team's relentlessness. 

"Our players fully exerted their abilities on the field, withstood the pressure, and ran tirelessly. The opponent is a strong team. It was not easy to beat them," he told reporters through an interpreter during the post-match news conference.

"Young player Wang dared to take the penalty in the final stage, demonstrating the composure of an outstanding player."  

Zhan Jun, a senior football commentator, wrote on social media that the Chinese team made too many mistakes, which led to the elimination.

"In this group, except for Japan, whose strength is superior, the gap between other teams is not significant. Whoever plays well at home and makes fewer mistakes away has a chance to qualify," Zhan said. 

"It's a pity we made too many errors," he added.

The Chinese team was grouped with Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Bahrain. Japan and Australia have qualified for the World Cup automatically as the top-two finishers in the group. 

Though China was eliminated ahead of the match, Tuesday's game, held at the Chongqing Longxing Football Stadium in the municipality, attracted 51,236 people.

Afterwards, many fans questioned on social media why Ivankovic insisted on having a 4-4-2 Diamond formation for the match, which was labeled "not suitable" for the national team players. 

It wasn't until substitute midfielder Xu Haoyang came off the bench in the second half that pressure was alleviated on defensive midfielder Huang Zhengyu.

It remains undecided if Ivankovic will leave his post as the head coach of the Chinese national  team, as he has said that the Chinese Football Association will decide his future.

Tuesday's game might herald a change for the national team, as senior players are likely to be replaced by the younger generation as the team has to shift its focus for future competitions.

Star forward Wu Lei, who is now 33 but skipped the recent two qualifiers due to injury, and captain and keeper Wang Dalei, who is now 36, are among the eldest in the squad.

Some fans also noted that the two naturalized players Yang Mingyang and Hou Yongyong did not get the chance to play.

Previously, Yang and Hou represented the youth teams of Switzerland and Norway respectively in competitions. 

After completing the relevant procedures for naturalization as Chinese citizens, Hou and Yang began to play in the Chinese Super League in 2019 and 2021 respectively.

Ivankovic said the national team will have some international friendly matches in the future for the young players to hone their skills.

"Through the previous World Cup qualifiers, many young players have gained national team experience. I believe these friendly matches will provide better opportunities to train these players and test our team," he said.

The Chinese national team's next competitive game will be the East Asia Football Championship, which is scheduled to be held in July.

"We hope new talents like Wang Yudong and Liu Chengyu can get more opportunities and the national team can determine its future playing style, regardless of whether the head coach is replaced," Zhan said.