Illustration: Liu Xiangya/GT

TheMK sports Chinese men's national football team defeated Kuwait 3-1 in a closed-door friendly in Dubai on Sunday, according to CCTV News. The match served as a warm-up for the upcoming third-round matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.  

During the match, Chinese players Li Lei and Behram Abduweli scored in the first half, while Kuwait conceded an own goal. 

In the second half, naturalized player Serginho played 45 minutes for China. 

The victory is expected to boost the team's confidence ahead of crucial qualifiers, in which China will face Saudi Arabia in an away game on March 20 in the seventh round of the Group C fixtures, ­followed by a home clash against Australia on March 25, as reported by CCTV News.

Under the tournament format, the 18 nations that have qualified for the third round of Asian Qualifiers are split into three groups of six. The top two from each group will qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals. The third- and fourth-placed teams in the three groups will be split into two groups of three from October 2025 to play the next round of qualifying.

In Group C, where China is at, Japan currently leads with 16 points, while Australia sits second with seven points. China, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Indonesia are level on six points. 

 Kuwait, competing in Group B, is fifth with four points and shares a playing style similar to Saudi Arabia, making the friendly a valuable test for China, as reported by the Xinhua News Agency.

"Despite currently ranking last in Group C, the Chinese national football team remains within striking distance of qualification, trailing second-placed Australia by just one point," Wang Dazhao, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times, emphasizing that the upcoming matches against Saudi Arabia and Australia will be crucial for China's bid to advance. "In the away game against Saudi Arabia on March 20, psychological pressure may be one of the biggest challenges for the Chinese team."

"While qualification remains mathematically possible, expectations should be tempered," Wang said. "The team must give its utmost effort and be prepared for all difficulties in the upcoming matches."

It's worth noting that this just finished match also marked the debut of naturalized player Serginho for the Chinese national team. ­According to CCTV News, the former Brazilian midfielder came on as a substitute in the second half and was actively involved, delivering several key passes. Serginho's performance was well received by both the coaching staff and teammates.

On Thursday, Serginho joined the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu and received official verification. 

Looking back on his career, the now Beijing Guoan player joined Japan's club Kashima Antlers in 2018, scoring 31 goals and providing nine assists over 76 appearances. In 2020, he transferred to China's Changchun Yatai, helping the club secure promotion back to the Chinese Super League (CSL) that season.

"Serginho's addition will bring new opportunities and strengthen China's chances in the upcoming matches," Wang said. "However, the key remains improving the overall strength of the squad rather than relying too heavily on naturalized players."

Additionally, highly anticipated U20 prospects Wang Yudong, Liu Chengyu, and newcomer Xu Bin each played around 20 minutes in this match. 

According to CCTV News, their inclusion suggests that head coach Branko Ivankovic is not merely having them train with the squad but ­actively integrating them into the national team setup. By ­giving these young players game time, Ivankovic aims to ­accelerate their adaptation to the senior level, positioning them as promising talents the team can rely on in the future.