Made Xing: Ivan is Formulating the List for the World Cup Qualifiers; Unlikely to See New Naturalized Players

On July 19, FIFA released its latest world rankings, with China’s national team ranked 87th, up one spot. According to reporter Made Xing, the Chinese national team’s head coach is currently formulating the squad list for the 18-team World Cup qualifiers, but it is unlikely that the list will feature new naturalized players.

It is understood that the AFC opened a window on July 15 for teams to submit their entry lists, with the initial submission requiring a minimum of 35 players and the deadline set for August 5. Therefore, Ivan has around one month to finalize his selections.

According to Made Xing’s report, Ivan and his coaching staff have started scouting players this week and are formulating an initial squad list. He will then further narrow down the list to determine the final training roster. Based on the current situation, although there has been external hope for the successful inclusion of naturalized players like Oscar from Cangzhou and Serginho from Changchun Yatai, aside from the non-bloodline naturalized players who have already represented China such as Alan, Fei Nanduo, and Elkeson, as well as bloodline naturalized players like Jiang Guangtai, Li Ke, and Hou Yongyong, the likelihood of seeing new naturalized players in the 18-team qualifiers is not high.

Chinese National Team Schedule for the 18-Team Qualifiers ( )

Round 1: September 5, 18:35 Japan vs. China

Round 2: September 10, 20:00 China vs. Saudi Arabia

Round 3: October 10 Australia vs. China

Round 4: October 15 China vs. Indonesia

Round 5: November 14 Bahrain vs. China

Round 6: November 19 China vs. Japan

Round 7: March 20 Saudi Arabia vs. China

Round 8: March 25 China vs. Australia

Round 9: June 5 Indonesia vs. China

Round 10: June 10 China vs. Bahrain