China’s Under-17 women’s national team secured a 3-0 victory over India in the quarterfinals of the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup on May 11, 2026, advancing to the semifinals and simultaneously booking their ticket to the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup later this year.
The team, coached by former Chinese women’s football star Ma Xiaoxu, has been dominant throughout the tournament. In the group stage, they recorded three consecutive wins—6-0 against Myanmar, 3-0 against Vietnam, and 6-0 against Thailand—topping their group with a perfect record of 15 goals scored and none conceded.
In the quarterfinal clash, China broke the deadlock in the 38th minute through a well-worked move. They doubled their lead from a penalty spot in the 47th minute and added a third goal in the 90th minute to seal a comfortable win. The result not only secured a top-four finish but also guaranteed a place in the U17 Women’s World Cup, which will be held in Morocco later this year.
Ma Xiaoxu, now 37, took over as head coach earlier this year, becoming the fourth Chinese domestic coach appointed by the Chinese Football Association in a 12-month period, following Wang Hongliang, Shao Jiayi, and Zhou Haibin. The team underwent intensive training camps since January to prepare for the tournament.
China will face North Korea in the semifinals. This achievement follows the U20 women’s team, which also secured a World Cup berth by reaching the semifinals of the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup last month, marking the first time in eight years that China’s U20 women’s team will compete in a global tournament.
Meanwhile, the U17 men’s team is also competing in the AFC U17 Asian Cup. Despite losing their first two group matches—0-1 to Indonesia and 1-2 to Japan—they still have a chance to progress. A win against Qatar in their final group game, combined with a Japan victory over Indonesia, could see them advance as group runners-up and qualify for the FIFA U17 World Cup. The Chinese men’s U17 team last appeared in a world championship in 2005.