In the U23 Asian Cup final, China lost 0-4 to Japan and finished as runners-up. After the match, most Chinese fans demonstrated a rational attitude, admitting they were outclassed and believing the team had already exceeded expectations.
On platforms like Weibo, Xiaohongshu, Hupu, and Dongqiudi, on Sunday (January 25) in the early morning, Chinese fans left comments such as “Acknowledge the gap, keep working hard”, “There was no unfair refereeing and no regrets this time”, “The lads have already exceeded expectations, keep it up in the future”, “Japanese football has already joined the ranks of Europe, their level is unmatched”, “Chinese players can also consider training in the Japanese league”, “The senior team lost seven, the youth team only lost four, they did their best.”
Although a very small number of netizens expressed themselves irrationally, the vast majority reacted objectively and rationally.
The final of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday (January 24) local time. The Chinese men’s team, making their inaugural appearance in the final, lost 0-4 to defending champions Japan, finishing as runners-up.
The final of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday (January 24) local time. The Chinese men’s team, making their inaugural appearance in the final, lost 0-4 to defending champions Japan, finishing as runners-up.
This is the best result China’s U23 men’s national football team has achieved in this tournament. Meanwhile, Japan became the first team to win the competition three times and to defend their title successfully. Japan previously won in 2016 and 2024.