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| 사진=동추디 |
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Strange public opinion is being created within China.
Indonesia's CNN paid attention to the strange logic raised by a Chinese media on the 19th (Korea time). The media outlet noted that the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) selected Saudi Arabia and Qatar as the host of the fourth Asian qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup. Sohu went on to say that Chinese soccer fans are looking at the selection of the venue from a different perspective. 'In particular, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are expected to gain significant advantages as host countries, which raises concerns that there is a controversy over equity,' it said.
What is the room for controversy over equity raised by Sohu. First of all, only countries that ranked third and fourth in the group in the third qualifying round for the World Cup Asia region can participate. China was eliminated without even going to the fourth qualifying round because it finished fifth in Group C.
A total of six countries that advanced to the fourth qualifying round will be divided into two groups, and only the first place in each group will be given a ticket to the World Cup finals. The second place in each group will compete at home and away, and only the winners will advance to the continental playoffs. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Indonesia, Oman, United Arab Emirates, and Iraq will participate in the fourth qualifying round.
Sohu took issue with the fourth qualifying match being played at home to Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which participated in the fourth qualifying round. Of course, playing at home to the two countries will provide an environment favorable to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. So far, it is not wrong to raise the question. The most important thing in advancing to the World Cup is equity.
However, the stories behind the questioning were rather poor. As reported by Indonesia's CNN, Sohu interprets the selection of the venue as an indication that even if China advances to the fourth qualifying round of the World Cup, it will eventually be eliminated due to partiality and cheating. In past matches, China was often criticized for controversial refereeing decisions, and many pointed out that Middle Eastern countries in particular benefit from biased referees.
It's a ridiculous claim. It is true that the opening of Saudi Arabia and Qatar has provided a favorable environment for the two countries, but worrying about bias and cheating is a matter of another level. China did not advance to the fourth qualifying round because of its lack of skills. I think it's nothing but useless rationalization.
In fact, China's FIFA ranking has also fallen sharply recently, recording its worst ranking since 2013. He was almost chased by Thailand, which failed to advance to the third qualifying round of the World Cup. Although FIFA has been criticized for increasing a country like China, which boasts 1.4 billion people, to 48 countries to participate in the World Cup, some Chinese fans are worried about outdated bias and cheating.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
