China's national football team arrives in Saudi Arabia for World Cup qualifiers

Wei Shihao (front L) and Baihelamu Abuduwaili (front R) arrive at the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on March 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Luo Chen)

RIYADH, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese men's national football team arrived in Riyadh on Monday night to begin its final preparations for the upcoming match against Saudi Arabia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers scheduled for Thursday.

Arriving from Dubai, the Chinese team landed at the King Khalid International Airport, where they were welcomed by dozens of waiting fans.

A representative of the Chinese Football Association told Xinhua that after two weeks of training in Dubai, the team is in good condition. The team began its training in Riyadh on Tuesday, aiming to be in top form for the Saudi Arabia match.

Japan currently leads Group C with 16 points, followed by Australia with seven points. Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and China are level on six points. ■

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