Apart from thunder + naturalizer shock, 2026 WC give up? I heard you have something you can't say...

Mar 04, 2025

◇Sportschosun DB

Is it a reasonable confidence.

There are many interpretations of Branko Ivankovic's recent preliminary list for the Chinese national team. Coach Ivankovic did not include not only Wu Lei, who is considered China's best striker, but also naturalized players Serginho and Oscar Maritou.

Wu Lei is the best player in China.

A native of Shanghai Sanggang, he entered Spain's Primera Liga when he joined Espanyol in 2019. He returned to his former team Shanghai with a total of 126 games and 16 goals over the past three years. At the time of Espanyol's performance, he was evaluated as lacking in performance compared to his participation, but he received great support as a European player who came out for the first time in a long time in China.

According to statistics, Wu Lei scored 42 goals in a total of 45 games played in Shanghai Haigang and the Chinese national team last year, making him the world's fourth-most goals after Erling Victor Jockeres (Sweden, 58 goals in 54 games), Erling Holan (Man City, Norway, 45 goals in 49 games), and Harry Kane (Munich, England, 43 goals in 53 games).

The reason for excluding the national team is injury. Wu Lei, who suffered from injuries from the end of last season, eventually chose surgery after the end of the season. In the end, due to rehabilitation, he was excluded from the second round of the third qualifying round for the North Korea-China World Cup this month.

There are multiple reasons for the exclusion of Serginho and Oscar Maritou, who China ambitiously pursued naturalization through this World Cup qualifying round.

◇Sportschosun DB

Chinese soccer journalist Mother Xing wrote on his SNS that `the two players appear to have been excluded from the list because their skills did not rise faster than expected,' adding `There is a possibility that they will be included in the final list, but if the current situation is the case, they are unlikely to play in two preliminary games in March.' In addition, some procedures related to naturalization have not yet been completed. There is a rule that they cannot register with FIFA and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) until they receive their Chinese citizenship cards and passports, adding that coach Ivankovic will not bother to take risks as the two players have condition problems and lack time to adapt to the national team while they have not been able to play in the first and second rounds of the Super League.

China has played six games in Group C in the third qualifying round, and is at the bottom with two wins and four losses and six points (goal difference -10). However, it is true that there is a possibility of miraculously participating in the finals depending on the results of the remaining four games in Group C, which is only one point apart from second-place Australia (7 points, goal difference +1).

China will play the 7th game of Group C against Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on the 21st and the 8th game against Australia in Hangzhou on the 25th.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.