Chinese U23 team captain Xiang Yuwang celebrates after scoring a goal during the match against Thailand on March 25, 2026.

Fresh off a historic runners-up finish at the Under-23 Asian Cup, the team's best-ever result in the tournament, the Chinese U23 national team is now shifting its focus to the upcoming Asian Games.

"The results from the U23 Asian Cup are now history," Chinese U23 team head coach Antonio Puche said Tuesday in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, where the U23 team is playing three friendlies. 

"The past has been written, and we must inherit the spirit of history and march toward a brighter future. Our primary objective now is the Asian Games in September."

The U23 team's quality campaign at the U23 Asian Cup has resulted in 10 players in the tournament squad being summoned to the senior national team for the international match week. 

"It is great news for many of our players to receive call-ups to the senior national team," Puche said. "This creates new opportunities for other players, allowing us to organize and gel as a renewed unit."

Among the 25 players initially called up to the U23 team, 16 of them were U21 players, including Yimulan Maimaiti, who returned to the team from injuries. 

The team will go on to take on their North Korean counterparts on Saturday and the Vietnamese team on Tuesday, after holding the Thailand U23 team to a 2-2 draw on Wednesday in Xi'an. 

The current roster leans heavily on U21 players who, until recently, were honing their skills in domestic youth leagues or lower-tier matches. 

"This blending of young generations is designed to smooth the transition toward the 2028 Olympics, allowing younger prospects to absorb the intensity of international competition earlier than ever before," Zhang Bin, a Beijing-based football commentator, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

"The matches are not mere warm-ups but deliberate preparation for the Asian Games later this year, where the Chinese young talents are expected to prove their mettle on the continental stage once again." 

The success of the U23 side has also accelerated changes within the senior national team setup.

Senior squad changes

Aside from Xi'an, the senior China national team is embarking on its own rejuvenation journey during this international window in Australia. 

Under the guidance of men's national team head coach Shao Jiayi, the senior team is set to play two friendlies, first on Friday against Curacao, the Caribbean team that surprised the world by qualifying for the 2026 48-team FIFA World Cup and then by facing against African football giants Cameroon on Tuesday. 

Gone are the days when the squad featured mostly established names. The inclusion of 10 players from the U23 pool is widely seen as injecting fresh sharpness into the senior setup.

Forward Wang Yudong, 19, known for his composure and proficiency in the Chinese Super League, is among the leading names of youth players. 

Midfielder Xu Bin, 21, has also drawn praise for his defensive awareness. He is also currently the only Chinese player based overseas, playing for Barnsley FC in England.

The younger players' presence is reshaping training sessions, forcing older teammates to elevate their own intensity while giving the newcomers a course in senior-level decision-making. 

Veteran midfielder Wang Shaoyuan echoed the sentiment, noting that both senior players and newcomers were fully committed during training sessions.

"Whether it's veteran players or young ones, everyone is giving their all. Coach Shao is strict about details, sparing no effort to analyze opponents and explain tactical arrangements," Wang told reporters ahead of a training session in Sydney on Tuesday. "All of us share the same goal: to play well in these two games."

Defender Liu Haofan, who made his name through quality defending at the U23 Asian Cup, said the runners-up finish at the tournament has been a confidence booster for the young players at the national team.

"At the U23 Asian Cup we faced all the strong teams in Asia. It is quite a confidence booster for the young players," Liu told reporters. 

"Right now I am doing my best to cope with the tactics by coach Shao. I hope I can make appearance this time on the senior national team."

Chinese U23 team player Chen Zeshi (No.27) vies for the ball during the match against Thailand in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, on March 25, 2026. Photos on this page: VCG

International exposure

The CFA's youth development blueprint has been coming into sharp focus lately as it has created a seamless pathway for players to move upward not by age alone, earning their stripes through real international tests, analysts said.

"For too long, our young players have been like seedlings kept in a greenhouse. Domestic leagues offer valuable minutes, but they cannot replicate the storm of an international friendly where you will face unfamiliar tactics and the sheer physicality of opponents who train and play at a higher tempo," Mao Jiale, a Chengdu-based sports commentator, told the Global Times.

"What we're seeing now with the U23 players stepping into senior friendlies against Curacao and Cameroon, and U21 talents into the Xi'an series, is a greenhouse door finally swinging open. The players will have to learn to handle the body checks, the tactical traps, and the mental fatigue that domestic games rarely impose."

The push for youth exposure is unfolding across multiple national team levels. 

Parallel to the senior team's Australian expedition, the U19 national team has assembled in East China's Yiwu for two friendlies against Australia, providing another layer of international exposure for even younger prospects. 

Meanwhile, the U16 side is gearing up for the prestigious Montaigu football tournament in France in early April, a tournament renowned for pitting emerging talents against some of the world's strongest youth programs. 

"Though friendlies alone cannot transform a football culture overnight, the momentum is undeniable. By promoting young talents into the higher teams, the players are given chances for direct confrontation with international footballers," Mao noted. "These young guns are now facing real challenges through practical games, and that is how a winning team squad is forged."