China national under-23 football team
| Association | Chinese Football Association | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Confederation | AFC (Asia) | ||
| Head coach | Antonio Puche | ||
| Captain | Liu Haofan | ||
| FIFA code | CHN | ||
| |||
| Summer Olympics | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in 2008) | ||
| Best result | Group stage (2008) | ||
| AFC U-23 Asian Cup | |||
| Appearances | 6 (first in 2013) | ||
| Best result | Runners-up (2026) | ||
| Asian Games | |||
| Appearances | 5 (first in 2002) | ||
| Best result | Quarter-finals (2002, 2006, 2022) | ||
The China national under-23 football team, also known as the China Olympic team (国奥队), represents the People's Republic of China in international football competitions in the Olympic Games, Asian Games, as well as any other under-23 international football tournaments. It is governed by the Chinese Football Association (CFA). It combines two teams: China U-23 national team and China U-21 selection team.[1]
Competition history
* DNE = Did not enter; DNQ = Did not qualify; QBW = Qualified but withdrew.
* Pos = Position; P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against.
* Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
Olympic Games record
- For 1900 to 1988, see China national football team.
| Year | Result | Pos | P | W | D | L | F | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 to 2004 | did not qualify | |||||||
| 2008 | Group stage | 13 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| 2012 to 2024 | did not qualify | |||||||
| Total* | - | - | 8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 17 |
* Including 1900 to 1988
Asian Games record
- For 1951 to 1998, see China national football team.
| Year | Result | Pos | P | W | D | L | F | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Quarter-finals | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 1 |
| 2006 | Quarter-finals | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 4 |
| 2010 | Round of 16 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| 2014 | Round of 16 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 2018 | Round of 16 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 5 |
| 2022 | Quarter-finals | 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 3 |
| 2026 | TBD | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Total* | - | - | 24 | 15 | 2 | 7 | 47 | 25 |
* Including 1951 to 1998
| Asian Games History | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Score | Result |
| 2002 | Round 1 | China 4–0 Turkmenistan | Win |
| Round 1 | China 3–0 Bangladesh | Win | |
| Round 1 | China 2–0 India | Win | |
| Quarterfinals | China 0–1 Japan | Loss | |
| 2006 | Round 1 | China 1–0 Iraq | Win |
| Round 1 | China 3–1 Malaysia | Win | |
| Round 1 | China 2–1 Oman | Win | |
| Quarterfinals | China 2–2 (7–8, penalties) Iran | Draw | |
| 2010 | Round 1 | China 0–3 Japan | Loss |
| Round 1 | China 2–1 Kyrgyzstan | Win | |
| Round 1 | China 3–0 Malaysia | Win | |
| Round of 16 | China 0–3 South Korea | Loss | |
| 2014 | Round 1 | China 0–3 North Korea | Loss |
| Round 1 | China 1–0 Pakistan | Win | |
| Round of 16 | China 0–2 Thailand | Loss | |
| 2018 | Round 1 | China 6–0 Timor-Leste | Win |
| Round 1 | China 3–0 Syria | Win | |
| Round 1 | China 2–1 United Arab Emirates | Win | |
| Round of 16 | China 3–4 Saudi Arabia | Loss | |
| 2022 | Round 1 | China 5–1 India | Win |
| Round 1 | China 4–0 Myanmar | Win | |
| Round 1 | China 0–0 Bangladesh | Draw | |
| Round of 16 | China 1–0 Qatar | Win | |
| Quarter-finals | China 0–2 South Korea | Loss | |
East Asian Games record
| Year | Result | Pos | P | W | D | L | F | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Third place | 3rd | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 5 |
| 1997 | Third place | 3rd | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 7 |
| 2001 | did not enter | |||||||
| 2005 | Champions | 1st | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 4 |
| 2009 | Group stage | 5th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 2013 | Group stage | 5th | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| Total | 1 title | 1st | 21 | 11 | 3 | 7 | 54 | 26 |
AFC U-23 Asian Cup record
| Olympic Games Qualification |
| Year | Result | Final Stage | Preliminary Stage | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M | W | D | L | F | A | M | W | D | L | F | A | ||
| 2013 | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 3 |
| 2016 | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| 2018 | Group stage | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| 2020 | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 2 |
| 2022 | Withdrawn | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | Group stage | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 2026 | Runners-up | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| Total | Runners-up | 21 | 4 | 3 | 14 | 16 | 29 | 19 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 58 | 8 |
Recent results and fixtures
Win Draw Loss
2025
| 20 March 2025 CFA Team China Cup | China | 0–0 | Uzbekistan | Yancheng, China |
| 19:35 UTC+8 | Stadium: Yancheng Olympic Sports Center Stadium Attendance: 6,198 Referee: Du Jianxin (China) |
| 23 March 2025 CFA Team China Cup | China | 1–0 | South Korea | Yancheng, China |
| 15:30 UTC+8 |
|
Stadium: Yancheng Olympic Sports Center Stadium Attendance: 18,985 Referee: Ai Kun (China) |
| 25 March 2025 CFA Team China Cup | China | 1–1 | Vietnam | Yancheng, China |
| 19:35 UTC+8 |
|
Stadium: Yancheng Olympic Sports Center Stadium Attendance: 8,628 Referee: Dai Yige (China) |
| 7 June Friendly | Belarus | 1–1 | China | Minsk, Belarus |
| 18:00 UTC+3 |
|
|
Stadium: New Belarus National Stadium Attendance: 33,145 Referee: Nikita Shiyan (Belarus) |
| 3 September 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup Q | China | 2–1 | Timor-Leste | Xi'an, China |
| 19:35 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Xi'an International Football Center Attendance: 23,802 Referee: Chae Sang-hyeop (South Korea) |
| 6 September 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup Q | Northern Mariana Islands | 0–10 | China | Xi'an, China |
| 19:35 | Report |
|
Stadium: Xi'an International Football Center Attendance: 30,982 Referee: Wiwat Jumpao-on (Thailand) |
| 9 September 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup Q | Australia | 0–0 | China | Xi'an, China |
| 19:35 | Report | Stadium: Xi'an International Football Center Attendance: 33,022 Referee: Asker Nadjafaliev (Uzbekistan) |
| 10 October Friendly | China | 3–1 | Thailand | Kunming, China |
| 16:00 |
|
Stadium: Haigeng Sports Training Center |
| 14 October Friendly | China | 0–0 | Thailand | Kunming, China |
| 16:00 | Stadium: Haigeng Sports Training Center Referee: Xing Qi (China) |
| 12 November 2025 Panda Cup | China | 0–1 | Vietnam | Chengdu, China |
| 19:35 UTC+8 |
|
Stadium: Shuangliu Sports Centre Attendance: 4,137 Referee: Shen Yinhao (China) |
| 15 November 2025 Panda Cup | China | 2–0 | South Korea | Chengdu, China |
| 19:35 UTC+8 |
|
Stadium: Shuangliu Sports Centre Attendance: 10,089 Referee: Tang Shunqi (China) |
| 18 November 2025 Panda Cup | China | 0–0 | Uzbekistan | Chengdu, China |
| 19:35 UTC+8 | Stadium: Shuangliu Sports Centre Attendance: 4,218 Referee: Dai Yige (China) |
2026
| 3 January Friendly | Iran | 1–0 | China | Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates |
| Umidjan Yusup 60' (o.g.) | Stadium: Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi Stadium |
| 8 January 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup GS | Iraq | 0–0 | China | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| 17:00 | Report | Stadium: Prince Faisal bin Fahd Sports City Stadium Attendance: 960 Referee: Asker Nadjafaliev (Uzbekistan) |
| 11 January 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup GS | China | 1–0 | Australia | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| 14:30 |
|
Report | Stadium: Al-Shabab Club Stadium Attendance: 475 Referee: Thoriq Alkatiri (Indonesia) |
| 14 January 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup GS | Thailand | 0–0 | China | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| 14:30 | Report | Stadium: Al-Shabab Club Stadium Attendance: 484 Referee: Abdulla Al-Marri (Qatar) |
| 17 January 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup QF | Uzbekistan | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (2–4 p) | China | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia |
| 14:30 | Report | Stadium: Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium Attendance: 578 Referee: Ammar Mahfoodh (Bahrain) | ||
| Penalties | ||||
|
||||
| 20 January 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup SF | Vietnam | 0–3 | China | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia |
| 18:30 | Report |
|
Stadium: Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium Attendance: 1,141 Referee: Alex King (Australia) |
| 24 January 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup Final | China | 0–4 | Japan | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia |
| 18:00 | Report | Stadium: Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium Attendance: 8,188 Referee: Faisal Al-Balawi (Saudi Arabia) |
| 25 March Xi'an Tournament | China | v | Thailand | Xi'an, China |
| 19:35 UTC+8 | Source | Stadium: Xi'an International Football Center |
| 28 March Xi'an Tournament | China | v | North Korea | Xi'an, China |
| 19:35 UTC+8 | Source | Stadium: Xi'an International Football Center |
| 31 March Xi'an Tournament | China | v | Vietnam | Xi'an, China |
| 19:35 UTC+8 | Source | Stadium: Xi'an International Football Center |
Olympic Games fixtures
2008 Olympic Games
All times local (GMT+8)
| China | 1–1 | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Dong Fangzhuo 88' | (Report) | Brockie 53' |
| China | 0–3 | Brazil |
|---|---|---|
| (Report) | Diego 18' Thiago Neves 69', 73' |
Attendance: 38,790
Referee: Jerome Damon (South Africa)
Players
China U-23 current squad
The following players were called up for the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup.[2]
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Luan Yi | 16 August 2005 (aged 20) | Shijiazhuang Gongfu | ||
| 12 | GK | Huo Shenping | 26 November 2003 (aged 22) | Zhejiang FC | ||
| 16 | GK | Li Hao | 6 March 2004 (aged 21) | Qingdao West Coast | ||
| 2 | DF | Hu Hetao | 5 October 2003 (aged 22) | Chengdu Rongcheng | ||
| 3 | DF | He Yiran | 27 February 2005 (aged 20) | Changchun Yatai | ||
| 4 | DF | Umidjan Yusup | 28 February 2004 (aged 21) | Shanghai Port | ||
| 5 | DF | Liu Haofan | 23 October 2003 (aged 22) | Zhejiang FC | ||
| 15 | DF | Peng Xiao | 28 July 2005 (aged 20) | Shandong Taishan | ||
| 17 | DF | Bao Shimeng | 2 July 2003 (aged 22) | Suzhou Dongwu | ||
| 19 | DF | Zhang Aihui | 27 May 2005 (aged 20) | Zhejiang FC | ||
| 23 | DF | Alex Yang | 13 June 2005 (aged 20) | Qingdao West Coast | ||
| 6 | MF | Xu Bin | 2 May 2004 (aged 21) | Wolverhampton | ||
| 8 | MF | Mutellip Iminqari | 2 May 2004 (aged 21) | Qingdao West Coast | ||
| 10 | MF | Wang Yudong | 23 November 2006 (aged 19) | Zhejiang FC | ||
| 11 | MF | Kuai Jiwen | 28 February 2006 (aged 19) | Shanghai Port | ||
| 13 | MF | Wang Bohao | 18 July 2005 (aged 20) | FC Den Bosch | ||
| 14 | MF | Yang Haoyu | 25 May 2006 (aged 19) | Shanghai Shenhua | ||
| 18 | MF | Chen Zeshi | 21 February 2005 (aged 20) | Shandong Taishan | ||
| 20 | MF | Li Zhenquan | 16 December 2003 (aged 22) | Chongqing Tongliang Long | ||
| 21 | MF | Bao Shengxin | 1 August 2003 (aged 22) | Zhejiang FC | ||
| 22 | MF | Mao Weijie | 25 May 2005 (aged 20) | Dalian Yingbo | ||
| 7 | FW | Xiang Yuwang | 18 December 2003 (aged 22) | Chongqing Tongliang Long | ||
| 9 | FW | Behram Abduweli | 8 March 2003 (aged 22) | Shenzhen Peng City | ||
Previous squads
Overage players in Olympic Games
| Tournament | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Li Weifeng (DF) | Zheng Zhi (MF) | Han Peng (FW) |
China U-23 captains
| Period | Captain | Vice Captain | Third Captain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990–1992 | Fan Zhiyi | Xu Hong | — |
| 1993–1994 | Zhang Enhua | Yang Chen | — |
| 1995–1996 | Shen Si | Zhang Enhua | – |
| 1998–1999 | Li Weifeng | Zhang Ran | — |
| 2001–2004 | Du Wei | Hu Zhaojun | — |
| 2006 | Chen Tao | — | — |
| 2006 Asian Games | Zheng Zhi | — | — |
| 2007 | Chen Tao | Feng Xiaoting | Zhou Haibin |
| 2007–2008 | Li Weifeng | Zhou Haibin | — |
| 2008 Olympic Games | Zheng Zhi | Li Weifeng | Zhou Haibin |
| 2009–2010 | Zhang Linpeng | Wu Xi | Piao Cheng |
| 2010 Asian Games | Wang Dalei | Zhang Linpeng | Wu Xi |
| 2011 | Wang Dalei | Zhang Linpeng | Wu Xi |
| 2012 | Jin Jingdao | — | — |
| 2013–2014 | Shi Ke | Wang Tong | — |
| 2014 Asian Games | Shi Ke | Li Ang | — |
| 2015 | Wang Tong | Shi Ke | — |
| 2016 | Chen Zhechao | Cheng Jin | — |
| 2017–2018 | He Chao | Gao Zhunyi | — |
| 2019–2020 | Huang Zhengyu | — | |
| 2023 | Tao Qianglong | — | |
| 2024 | Afrden Asqer | — | |
| 2025– | Liu Haofan | — |
Coaching staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Antonio Puche |
| Assistant coaches | Pepe de La Sagra |
| David Campillo Quirante | |
| Huang Bowen | |
| Goalkeeping coaches | Tomo Gluic |
| Fitness coaches | Nacho Bondia |
| Huang Bowen | |
| Video analysts | Zhang Bin |
| Jiang Yong | |
| Match analyst | Sui Han |
| Doctors | Wang Shucheng |
| Team coordinator | Yuan Jiayang |
| Physiotherapists | Vacant |
List of head coaches
Manage records only includes international results.
- From 1981–1983 as "China Expectful team", 1983–1990 as "China B team".
| Name | Period | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA | Win % | Achievements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zhang Shixun | 1981 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| Zhang Jingtian | 1982–1984 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 24 | 13 | 46.15% | |
| Zhang Honggen | 1985 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 6 | 80.00% | |
| Xu Genbao | 1987–1990 | 18 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 24 | 23 | 33.33% |
- as China National Olympic team.
| Name | Period | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA | Win % | Achievements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xu Genbao | May 1990 – Jan 1992 | 21 | 15 | 4 | 2 | 78 | 14 | 71.43% | |
| Qi Wusheng | Mar 1993 – Sep 1993 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 22 | 11 | 37.50% | |
| Radivoje Ognjanović | Sep 1993 – Nov 1994 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 100% | |
| Qi Wusheng | Nov 1994 – Mar 1996 | 17 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 44 | 25 | 58.82% | |
| Bobby Houghton | Oct 1998 – Nov 1999 | 21 | 15 | 2 | 4 | 46 | 11 | 71.43% | |
| Shen Xiangfu | Dec 2001 – May 2004 | 35 | 16 | 7 | 12 | 56 | 38 | 45.71% | |
| Jia Xiuquan | Apr 2006 – Oct 2006 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 14.23% | |
| Ratomir Dujković | Nov 2006 – Jul 2008 | 26 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 34 | 27 | 42.31% | |
| Yin Tiesheng | Jul 2008 – Aug 2008 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 20.00% | |
| Miroslav Blažević | Nov 2010 – Aug 2011 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 50.00% | |
| Fu Bo | Mar 2012 – Jan 2016 | 56 | 19 | 12 | 25 | 33.93% | |||
| Chen Yang | Sep 2016 – Feb 2017 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 44.44% | |||
| Massimiliano Maddaloni | Mar 2017 – Sep 2019 | 20 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 45% | |||
| Aleksandar Janković | Feb 2021 – Mar 2023 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% | |||
| Cheng Yaodong | Mar 2023 – May 2024 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 44.45% | |||
| Antonio Puche | Aug 2024 – Present | 19 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 36.84% |
See also
References
- ^ "U21选拔队没有国家队队徽 却为国家队荣誉而战斗". 29 March 2018. Archived from the original on 2019-07-09. Retrieved 2018-09-18.
- ^ "U23国足亚洲杯名单出炉！王钰栋10号，依木兰、朱鹏宇等四人落选". 163.com (in Chinese). 2026-01-04. Retrieved 2026-01-04.
External links
- Team China – official website (in Chinese) (in English)
- Chinese Football Association – official website (in Chinese)
- Profile on FIFA (archived 10 June 2007)
- Profile on Beijing 2008 (archived 9 August 2008)
Head-to-head record
The following table shows China's head-to-head record in the Football at the Summer Olympics and AFC U-23 Asian Cup.
| Opponent | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 0.00 |
| Brazil | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | −3 | 0.00 |
| New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +0 | 0.00 |
| Total | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | −5 | 0.00 |
| Opponent | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 100.00 |
| Iran | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 0.00 |
| Iraq | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 0.00 |
| Japan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | −5 | 0.00 |
| Oman | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 100.00 |
| Qatar | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 0.00 |
| Saudi Arabia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 0.00 |
| South Korea | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | −3 | 0.00 |
| Syria | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 0.00 |
| Thailand | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | 0.00 |
| United Arab Emirates | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 100.00 |
| Uzbekistan | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 0.00 |
| Vietnam | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 100.00 |
| Total | 21 | 4 | 3 | 14 | 16 | 29 | −13 | 19.05 |