# 'Next up' China pulls off upset over Thailand... Australia and Japan cruise
China kicked off the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup North America with a hard-fought win over Thailand. Next up is South Korea.
The second round of World Cup qualifying kicked off on Saturday (July 16). In Group C, China won 2-1 against Thailand. The recently weakened Chinese, ranked 79th in FIFA, had a tough time against 112th-ranked Thailand.
Sarachai Yuen opened the scoring for Thailand in the 23rd minute, and China's star Wu Lei equalized just six minutes later. After a period of goalless play, Wang Xiangyuan scored a late goal in the 29th minute to secure the three points.
China's next opponent is South Korea. They face off at home on Nov. 21. South Korea is coming off a 5-0 thrashing of Singapore. Group C is looking increasingly likely to finish in the order of South Korea, China, Thailand, and Singapore, based on conventional power ratings and FIFA rankings.
In Group B, Japan defeated Myanmar 5-0 at home. Ayase Ueda scored a hat trick, including the game-winner, to lead the way for Japan. Ueda is a striker who moved to Dutch powerhouse Feyenoord this season after scoring 22 league goals for Belgian side Serklerbrugge in the losing season. He was supported by goals from Daichi Kamada and Ritsu Toan. Takumi Minamino added two assists.
In Group I, Australia cruised to a 7-0 win over Bangladesh. Mitchell [스포츠토토](https://www.totosafeguide.com) Duke scored twice, along with Harry Souta and Brandon Borrello, to open up a four-goal lead in the first half. Second-half substitute Jamie McClaren extended the lead with a hat trick.
In Group F, Vietnam started their qualifying campaign on a high note with a 2-0 win over the Philippines. Vietnam qualified for the final round for the first time in their history after qualifying for the second round of the Qatar 2022 World Cup. The team is led by Philippe Trousier after Park's departure earlier this year.
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