On May 22, in the 2026 AFC U-17 Asian Cup final held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, China’s U-17 men’s team fought back from a 0-3 halftime deficit to score two goals in the second half, but ultimately lost 2-3 to Japan and claimed the runner-up spot.
Zhao Songyuan said after the match, “Our never-say-die spirit is the most precious. We didn’t give up despite trailing by three goals at halftime, and we slowly closed the gap.” Looking ahead to this year’s FIFA U-17 World Cup, Wan Xiang said, “We will keep working hard and showcase our strength on the bigger stage of the FIFA U-17 World Cup.”