Japan secured a commanding victory in the third phase of Asia's preliminaries for the 2026 World Cup, as Hajime Moriyasu's team dominated China with a 7-0 win at Saitama Stadium on Thursday.
Wataru Endo and Kaoru Mitoma put Japan ahead by two goals at halftime during the Group C match, followed by Takumi Minamino's brace in the second half. Junya Ito, Daizen Maeda, and Takefusa Kubo further extended the lead, showcasing China's complete lack of defense.
Historically, Japan has been slow to start in the final phase of Asia's qualifiers, but against an overwhelmed China, Hajime Moriyasu's team showed no signs of sluggishness. Endo opened the scoring in the 12th minute after Chinese goalkeeper Wang Dalei had initially blocked Ritsu Doan's header. Unmarked at the resulting corner, Endo expertly headed the ball into the net after Kubo's delivery.
Doan nearly scored a second in the 33rd minute, while Hidemasa Morita hit the side-netting with two minutes left in the half. Japan did manage to double their lead before halftime, with Mitoma heading the ball back across the helpless Wang after meeting Doan's curling center.
Seven minutes into the second half, Japan extended their lead when Mitoma's pass sent Minamino into the penalty area, and the Monaco forward skillfully bent his shot beyond Wang. Minamino secured his second goal six minutes later with a precise finish into the bottom corner, leaving Wang stranded on the turf.
Substitute Ito scored the fifth goal 13 minutes from time when his shot was deflected past Wang by Jiang Guangtai, and then assisted Maeda for the sixth goal in the 87th minute. Kubo sealed China's humiliation with a powerful shot into the roof of the net in injury time.
The top two teams in the group, which includes Australia, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Bahrain, will advance directly to the World Cup, while the third and fourth placed teams will proceed to further qualifiers. Asia has been allocated eight guaranteed spots at the 2026 finals, with the possibility of an additional place through an intercontinental playoff.
