TOKYO - China's national team suffered a crushing 7-0 defeat to Japan on Thursday in their 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers third round opener.

Midfielder Wataru Endo opened the scoring with a header, and Kaoru Mitoma doubled the lead just before halftime.

China struggled to find a solution in the second half, but two consecutive goals from Takumi Minamino shattered their hopes. Junya Ito, Daizen Maeda and Takefusa Kubo also added to the scoreline.

The third round of the Asian qualifiers features 18 teams divided into three groups, with the top two teams from each group directly qualifying for the World Cup. The third- and fourth-placed teams will enter the playoffs.

China are placed in Group C alongside Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Indonesia.

This heavy defeat in the opening match casts a shadow over China's World Cup campaign.

Also on Thursday, Bahrain stunned Australia 1-0.

China will next face Saudi Arabia on September 10.