Chinese Football Association accused of making things difficult for Thailand before the 2026 World Cup qualifiers
The Chinese team will play Thailand in a match that will decide their ticket to the third qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup. They have home field advantage, so China is planning to make things more difficult for their opponents, according to Thai media.
Proof of this is that instead of playing in Tianjin, Shenzhen or Dalian, which are cities in the south, the Chinese Football Association will use the Olympic Stadium in Shenyang for this match.
Shenyang is a city in the northeast of China, bordering North Korea. Playing here, the Thai team may have to travel nearly twice as far as playing in Tianjin or Shenzhen. Therefore, they will face difficulties. Besides the tired coaching staff and players, it is also difficult for the Thai team to find a flight because there are no direct flights to Shenyang.
It is likely that the Thai Football Federation will have to charter a private plane for the team. According to Thai media, the Chinese side “is trying to use tricks to weaken the Thai team before the two meet in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers”.
The Football Association of Thailand has already found the financial resources to charter the plane. A paint company in Bangkok will fully fund the team’s travel expenses, which are expected to cost around 8.4 million baht, equivalent to 5.8 billion VND.
Meanwhile, China said they just wanted to recreate the fate of 22 years ago. At that time, China used the Olympic Stadium in Shenyang for the 2002 World Cup qualifiers and ended up winning a ticket to the Finals. That was also the only time in the history of this country to participate in the World Cup.
Thailand is currently third in Group C with 4 points, while China is second with 7 points. To keep their hopes of qualifying for the third round alive, Thailand must win this match. Meanwhile, China only needs a draw to almost certainly advance.
