China: "Korea's Steadfast Round of 16 Victory Was More Confident Than Japan's"

Chinese Media: "An Undisputed and Decisive Victory"
"Brazil Could Face Upset If Not in Top Form"
Soccer-Passionate China Hopes for 2026 World Cup

"A more undisputed and dignified victory compared to Japan's win over Spain"

On the morning of the 3rd (Korean time), a large Taegeukgi flag was unfurled in the stands before the Group H third match between South Korea and Portugal at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, during the 2022 Qatar World Cup group stage.

On the 3rd (Korean time), after South Korea defeated Portugal 2-1 in the group stage of the 2022 Qatar World Cup and advanced to the round of 16, Chinese media have been praising the performance.

Titanwang (體壇網), in an article evaluating the Korea-Portugal match on the same day, reported on South Korea's victory, stating, "Compared to Japan's controversial win over Spain a day earlier due to VAR (Video Assistant Referee), this was clearly a more dignified and more acceptable victory."

The outlet added, "South Korea, always known for their tenacity, this time did not fall behind Japanese football and likewise advanced to the round of 16 with pride."

The media identified the moment when Kim Young-gwon scored from a corner kick by Lee Kang-in in the first half to equalize 1-1 as a decisive moment.

They evaluated that although South Korea, which had scored 35% (12 out of 34 goals) of its goals from set pieces (free kicks and corner kicks) in the past 10 World Cups, failed to score from set pieces in the first and second group matches of this tournament, focusing on set pieces before the Portugal match proved effective.

Additionally, Fenghuangwang praised South Korea for breaking through the 'Group of Death' in this tournament, stating, "The Korean team's persistent will, teamwork, and tactical execution were fully demonstrated."

The media further noted that Brazil, South Korea's opponent in the round of 16, has striker Antony recently showing cold symptoms, and midfielder Lucas Paqueta and goalkeeper Alisson are not in good condition. They predicted that if Brazil cannot field their strongest lineup in top form, a 'major upset' might occur.

They also added, "If Neymar (who was injured in the first match) cannot start, South Korea will be even more confident and will fully commit to challenging Brazil."

On the morning of the 3rd (Korean time), at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, Son Heung-min of the national team, who secured victory in the third group stage match of Group H between South Korea and Portugal in the 2022 Qatar World Cup and advanced to the round of 16, sat down on the ground after the match and clenched his fist tightly.

Chinese media: "Best among Asian teams even before the Uruguay match"

Chinese media had also been deeply impressed by South Korea's match against Uruguay earlier.

Sports specialized media Titan Zhoubao (體壇週報) wrote, "South Korea is probably the Asian team that showed the best early-game performance among all Asian teams that have played so far in this World Cup," adding, "Host nation Qatar was subdued, and Iran focused on defense, whereas South Korea applied heavy pressure from the moment the whistle blew, preventing Uruguay from crossing the halfway line for the first few minutes."

Also, Hongxing (紅星) Newspaper evaluated that South Korea adapted well to the intensity and fast rhythm of modern football. The newspaper noted that Korean players aggressively pressed their opponents and engaged in physical battles, and although there was no goal, the one point earned against Uruguay was of considerable practical value.

Meanwhile, some Chinese netizens posted photos on social media platform Weibo titled "South Korea's trickery (小動作)," showing Korean players grabbing opponents' jerseys, which even trended on Weibo's popular search list.

However, many comments on those posts refuted the claims, saying, "South Korea's play was normal," and "Can't stand seeing others succeed? The opponent's trickery was worse."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Chinese netizens: "Why can't we win?"

China's passion for football is not behind any other country in the world. However, their history with the World Cup is not extensive.

The Hong Kong South China Morning Post reported on the 25th of last month an article titled, "A Weibo influencer cries out, 'Why can't we win?'"

China qualified for the World Cup finals only once, during the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, but failed to score any goals, conceded 9, and was eliminated in the group stage with three losses.

In 2011, President Xi Jinping expressed his wish for the Chinese national team to qualify for the World Cup, host the tournament, and win it.

Although winning is still a distant goal, the chances for China to qualify for the World Cup have increased.

In the 2026 World Cup, the number of participating countries in the finals will increase from 32 to 48.

The number of World Cup finals slots allocated to the Asian Football Confederation will increase from the current 4.5 to 8.5.