The big upset in the Asian zone of the World Cup qualifiers
1. The Myanmar team drew with Syria in an upset
On the evening of March 21, a key match in Group B of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers Asian Round of 36 was held in Yangon, Myanmar. As the weakest team in the group, Myanmar play at home against a strong Syria side. The clash was considered Myanmar's only guaranteed tie in the group stage, but surprisingly, they ended up holding Syria to a 1-1 draw.
Before the game, the Syrian team was undoubtedly the favourites for this match. They are ranked 89th in the latest FIFA world rankings and 14th in Asia, and are undoubtedly stronger than Myanmar. Myanmar is ranked 162nd in the world and 39th in Asia. Judging from the comparison of strength, there is indeed a huge gap between the two sides.
On the football field, you still have to use your actual performance to speak. From the start of the game, the home side Myanmar fought hard, and they broke the deadlock in the 35th minute through Mochoi to take a 1-0 lead. The goal undoubtedly made the fans cheer, who never expected that Myanmar would be expected to create an upset against strong opponents Syria.
The lead certainly boosted Myanmar's confidence, as they defended stubbornly in the second half and tried to take all three points. But Syria were strong after all, and they equalised in the 71st minute through Alaa Al-Dali. After that, the two teams went back and forth, but in the end the score was maintained at 1-1 until the final whistle.
Myanmar failed to pick up all three points, but the 1-1 draw was their best record in the World Championships. As the weakest team in the group, they drew with a strong Syria, which is undoubtedly a big upset in this World Preliminary Tournament. After the game, the players of the Myanmar team danced happily, and they showed the spirit of tenacious struggle with practical actions.
Second, the national football team was forced to draw by Singapore away
On the same day, the national football team challenged the Singapore team away in another match of the Asian qualifiers for the World Preliminary Championships. This is considered to be the national team's escort battle in the group stage, as Singapore are weak among Asian teams and are only ranked 156th in the world.
It's always unpredictable on the football field. Although the national football team performed well in the first half, Wu Lei broke through the door of the Singapore team twice, and they once led 2-0. However, in the second half, Singapore fought hard, scoring two goals in the 53rd and 81st minutes to draw 2-2 with China.
Such a result undoubtedly put the national football team into passivity, they only got 4 points after the first three rounds of the group stage, temporarily ranked third in the group. South Korea and Thailand in the same group have 7 and 4 points respectively, and they temporarily occupy the initiative to qualify.
For the national football team, being forced to draw by Singapore is undoubtedly a heavy blow. After the game, the players looked ugly and the coaching staff was under a lot of pressure. They desperately need to beat Singapore in their next home game to hopefully turn things around in the final three rounds of the group stage.
Judging from the current situation, the qualifying situation of the national football team is already in jeopardy. Not only do they need to get a perfect nine points from the remaining three rounds, but they also need to count on other opponents to make mistakes and drop points in the same group. This is undoubtedly a difficult task, and for the national football team, the road to qualification is getting steeper and steeper.
3. Australia beat Bangladesh 7-0
In the other Asian qualifiers for the World Preliminary Championships on the same day, Australia, a traditional Asian powerhouse, beat Bangladesh with a huge score of 7-0 at home. The result once again confirms Australia's strength as the fourth largest team in Asia.
Throughout the game, Australia dominated possession, and they had already taken a 5-0 lead in the first half through goals from Martin, Duke and others. In the second half, Australia showed no mercy as they overcame Bangladesh with a huge 7-0 score through goals from Martin and McGovanew.
The scoreline once again showcased Australia's attacking prowess, as they swept almost every opponent in the Asian qualifiers. Judging by the current group stage, Australia has become the first Asian team to qualify for the round of 18.
There is indeed a certain gap in the strength of the national football team. Through continuous accumulation and youth training, I believe that one day in the future, the national football team will be able to catch up with a strong team like Australia. At present, the national football team should focus more on how to strive to advance in the remaining group stage and accumulate more experience for the future.
Fourth, naturalized players change the pattern of Asian football
In this World Preliminary Tournament, we have seen a new trend, that is, more and more Asian teams have begun to change their strength by bringing in naturalized players. This approach has already paid off, and has led to some changes in the landscape of Asian football.
The Indonesian team is a prime example. They have successfully brought in a number of naturalized players who have played in Europe, such as striker Struijk, midfielders Jenner and Haye, defenders Ezes and Zhou Ya'an, etc. The addition of these players has undoubtedly greatly strengthened the strength of the Indonesian team, which has allowed them to perform well in the Asian Cup, reaching the quarterfinals at one point.
In addition to Indonesia, some other traditional mid-stream teams such as the Philippines, Lebanon, and Palestine have followed suit and improved their combat effectiveness by naturalizing players. Judging from the current trend, this approach has become an important way for second-rate Asian teams to break through.
For the Chinese national team, it seems that there are still some difficulties in the introduction of naturalized players. On the one hand, there is a lack of players with blood ties and outstanding strength, and on the other hand, there are restrictions on the naturalization policy, which requires players who are not related by blood to live in China for more than 5 years before they can obtain citizenship.
Judging from the current lineup, the naturalized players of the national football team are mainly concentrated in the forward line, such as Ackerson, Luo Guofu and Allan, but they are relatively weak in the midfield and backline. If we can strengthen the strength players in these two lines in the future, I believe that the overall strength of the national football team will be further improved.
Fifth, Uzbekistan, an emerging power in Asia, broke through
In this World Preliminary Championship, in addition to the traditional strong teams, we have also seen the rise of some emerging forces, the most typical of which is the Uzbekistan team. As the "leading big brother" of Central Asian football, the Uzbekistan team performed well in the world qualifiers and they are expected to reach the 2026 World Cup finals.
On March 21, the Uzbekistan team hosted Iran, a traditional Asian powerhouse. In this game, although the Uzbekistan team was once 0-2 behind, they fought tenaciously and finally drew with Iran with a score of 2-2. After the game, Uzbekistan temporarily ranked second in the group with 4 points, only a narrow goal difference behind Iran.
Judging by the current record, the Uzbekistan team has shown the ambition to attack the World Cup. Not only did they shine in this World Preliminary Tournament, but Uzbekistan also had players named in the best team at the 2023 U20 Asian Cup. Uzbekistan is becoming a representative of the new force of Asian football.
For the Chinese national football team, the Uzbekistan team is undoubtedly an opponent that needs to be taken seriously. If the two teams meet in World Cup qualifiers or in the main event, it will be a close matchup. This challenge will also push the national football team to continue to improve and strive to qualify for the World Cup.