Tianjin Media: World Ranking Has Little Significance for China’s National Team; Preparing for the Strong Competition Is Top Priority

On July 19, FIFA updated its latest rankings, with China’s national team ranked 87th, up one spot from the previous edition. In response to this, the “Tianjin Evening News” commented on the changes in China’s national team’s FIFA ranking.

Media reports stated that China’s ranking change this time was a passive benefit. Due to the postponement of the 2024 East Asian Football Championship, after the end of the AFC 36-team preliminary round for the World Cup qualifiers, China’s national team has temporarily entered an interlude period between competitions, with their next task being the AFC 18-team preliminary round for the World Cup qualifiers starting on September 5. Bolivia, previously ranked ahead of China, fell to 89th place due to losing a friendly match against Colombia and suffering three consecutive losses in the Copa America during this rating cycle. As a result, China rose one spot to 87th in the world.

Of course, the current changes in the world rankings have little significance for China’s national team. With the unveiling of the group draw for the AFC 18-team preliminary round for the World Cup qualifiers at the end of June, China’s national team’s schedule for the next year has been determined. The top priority is to prepare well and strive to advance further in the World Cup qualifiers. After returning to China on July 13, head coach Ivanković immediately got down to work, and the preparatory work for the AFC 18-team preliminary round by China’s national team coaching staff has accelerated. According to plans, Ivanković will visit Dalian this week to inspect the Sailfish Bay Stadium, the venue for China’s first home game in the AFC 18-team preliminary round. During the weekend’s home match between Dalian Yingbo and Suzhou Dongwu in the China League One, the stadium management deliberately increased the number of tickets released, attracting over 50,000 spectators to test the stadium’s capacity for the upcoming match against Saudi Arabia, demonstrating the level of importance placed on preparations for the AFC 18-team preliminary round.

At present, it appears that China’s national team will assemble almost immediately after the 23rd round of the Chinese Super League on August 17 to prepare, but due to the quarterfinals of the Chinese FA Cup scheduled for August 21, some national team players will join the squad slightly later. According to the current progress, Ivanković is expected to finalize a preliminary list this month and subsequently select 28 players for the new training camp based on their performance and tactical suitability.