China's forward Wang Yudong shields the ball against Japanese player Kosei Ogura during the U23 Asian Cup final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on January 24, 2026. Photo: VCG

The Chinese men's national under-23 football team suffered a 4-0 defeat to Japan in the U23 Asian Cup final. But the runners-up finish marked China's best-ever result in the tournament.

Japan established control early in the final, taking the lead in the 12th minute before adding another eight minutes later to open up a two-goal advantage. 

A penalty and a long shot in the second half sealed the result, as the Chinese side conceded four goals in a single match for the first time in the tournament.

The four goals were the only ones conceded by the Chinese under-23 team throughout the entire tournament, underlining the defensive solidity they had shown en route to the final. 

The Chinese team, whose previous five appearances at the U23 Asian Cup were all recorded being eliminated in the group stage, was seeded at the lowest level in the 16-team competition but went into the final as a dark horse.

Despite the final defeat, the Chinese team's run in the tournament has injected much-needed confidence and hope into Chinese football at a time when the sport in China has been at a low ebb after years of underachievement in international competitions.

Under head coach Antonio Puche, the Chinese team had not conceded a goal in regular time of play after five matches en route to the final. 

Puche acknowledged ahead of the final that there remains a huge gap between Chinese and Japanese football, even though Japan's players are younger than his squad. 

The Japanese U23 team, though all of its players are under 21 rather than 23, is considered the strongest team in the tournament built on their smooth offensive transitions on the pitch, scoring 16 goals and conceding only one in regular time. 

The U23 final marks the first time a Chinese men's football team has faced Japan in a continental final in 22 years, since the senior Chinese national team's 3-1 home defeat to Japan in the 2004 Asian Cup final in Beijing.

Puche is expected to continue to lead the Chinese team to compete at the Asian Games later this year. Expectations are also growing that Puche will continue to lead a Chinese junior team toward the 2028 Olympics.

China U23 head coach Antonio Puche said after the match that the defeat is disappointing, but he remains proud of his players and hopes they can grow from the loss, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Acknowledging Japan as an excellent team with high-quality players, Antonio  urged the Chinese team to address the gap with their counterparts. He added that the scoreline was harsh, noting that the two deflected shots and a penalty decided the match.

After the U23 Asian Cup, Antonio will continue to lead the Chinese team at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan in September. He emphasized that the team should learn from the defeat in the final, reviewing missed opportunities and everything that happened on the pitch to better prepare for the upcoming games.

In this final match, China's first-choice striker Baihelamu Abuduwaili did not start and came on as a substitute in the second half. Antonio explained that Baihelamu had been running a fever over the past few days, reaching 39 C on match day, and that when a player is unwell, they cannot be expected to play the full 90 minutes.

"We're sorry we failed to deliver the level of performance we wanted in such a crucial match. We must have a to clear understanding of our own strength, respect our opponents and maintain our self-respect. In future training sessions and matches, we must desmonstrate a better attitude and a higher level of competitiveness to repay our fans," China fullback Hu Hetao said after the match.

"First of all, I would like to apologize. I failed to make those saves, and I have let down the fans across the country as well as my teammates,"said goalkeeper Li Hao during an interview after the match. 

When asked if he regretted not winning the Best Goalkeeper award, he replied, "My biggest regret is not winning the championship. There's no honor in defeat — we lost, and that's that. We'll review what happened, learn from it, and if we get another chance in the future, we'll fight to take the title."