China squeezed into the third round of Asia's preliminaries for the 2026 World Cup by the narrowest of margins on Tuesday despite slipping to a 1-0 loss at the hands of South Korea in Seoul. Japan, meanwhile, cruised past Syria as it completed its dominance of Group B.
Indonesia, North Korea, Kuwait and Kyrgyzstan also confirmed their progress to the next round, with the Chinese side qualifying as runners-up in Group C behind the South Koreans after Thailand could only register a 3-1 victory over Singapore.
Needing to win by three clear goals, or to score at least four with a two-goal victory margin to climb above the Chinese in the standings, Masatada Ishii's side fell agonizingly short of a spot in the draw for the next round on June 27.