Hello, Chinese goalkeeper Son Heung-min hugs Wolfo, hinting at retirement at 37 years old without stepping on the World Cup

Jul 03, 2025

Hello, Chinese goalkeeper Son Heung-min hugs Wolfo, hinting at retirement at 37 years old without stepping on the World Cup
Sportschosun DB



Hello, Chinese goalkeeper Son Heung-min hugs Wolfo, hinting at retirement at 37 years old without stepping on the World Cup
Chinese veteran goalkeeper Wang Dalay (37, Shandong Taishan), who shared a hot hug with South Korea's captain Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham), hinted at retiring from the national team.

According to Chinese media, Wang Dalay recently wrote "Hello" on his personal social networking service (SNS) along with a photo of him waving his hand. Local media reported that the fact that Tongcheon with the words 'China' is visible in the background suggests retirement from the national team.

Wang Dalay had already announced his retirement in June after winning the final match of the 2026 North-China World Cup in Asia's third round match against Bahrain by a score of 1-0.




He "I want to thank everyone. Thank you for your patience, dedication, and persistence. I'll be 40 years old in four years. I will be with the Chinese national team in some way. Let's cheer up, China!," he wrote on social media.

Wang Dalay made his national team debut through an A-match friendly against Sweden in 2012 and played as China's main goalkeeper at the 2015 Asian Cup. In the past 13 years, he has played 42 games for the Chinese national team. After the appointment of his former coach Branko Ivankovic, he regained his starting position. The captain's armband was also kicked in place of the injured Urey.

Hello, Chinese goalkeeper Son Heung-min hugs Wolfo, hinting at retirement at 37 years old without stepping on the World Cup
Wang Dalay shed tears sadly after losing 0-1 to South Korea in the second round of the World Cup qualifying round at Seoul World Cup Stadium in June last year. Son Heung-min approached, hugged, and offered words of consolation. Wang Dalay revealed the conversation between the two, saying, "(We) won and soothe me," saying, "(Son Heung-min) is sorry to the Chinese fans."




Wang Dalay said in a pre-press conference against Bahrain "I think the past year has passed too quickly. We are ahead of the final World Cup qualifying round. Maybe it will be my last World Cup qualifier. I want to win at home with my teammates and set a good example for young players" and emphasized that he would reap "the beauty of the end".

Wang Dalay reflected on his past career, saying, `I've learned a lot, but I don't think I've succeeded yet.' At this rate, Wang Dalay will not be able to advance to the World Cup finals and take off the national team goalkeeper's gloves. China has never advanced to the World Cup finals since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup.

On the 30th of last month, Wang Dalay was not listed on the 26 members of the Chinese national team's EAFF E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup). Veteran Jan Jun-ling (Shanghai Port), Xu Qinghao (Shanghai Shenhua) and Yu Jin-yong (Shandong Taishan), who have no A-match experience, were selected.




China, which immediately dismissed Ivankovic after failing to qualify for the World Cup and appointed Dejan Djurjevic as its interim head coach, will face South Korea (7th), Japan (12th) and Hong Kong (15th) in turn at Yongin Mir Stadium.

The Chinese Football Association plans to appoint an official head coach in preparation for the 2027 Saudi Asian Cup after the tournament. Former South Korean national team coach Paulo Bento and former Qatar national team coach Felix Sanchez are on the list.



This article was translated by Naver AI translator.