U23 China is the most surprising name at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship finals. Before the tournament started, very few people believed that this team could go deep, let alone reach the final.
However, with a disciplined fighting spirit and reasonable tactics, the East Asian representative successively overcame a series of heavy opponents to create a historical milestone for the country's youth football.
The biggest mark of U23 China lies in the semi-finals, where they defeated U23 Vietnam with a score of 3-0. It was not only a victory in terms of results but also clearly showed the effectiveness in the way the playing style operated.
U23 China does not hold the ball too much but always knows how to control the game, keep the squad low, cover tightly and punish the opponent's mistakes with sharp counter-attacks. Continuously keeping clean sheets shows that they possess a very well-organized defense system.
However, the challenge in the final will be at a completely different level. Their opponent is U23 Japan - the defending champion and also the strongest team in the tournament to date.
Blue Samurai" entered the final match with a perfect record and explosive attack. The high-pressing style, speed and superior technique helped U23 Japan always control the game from the first minutes.
Against such an opponent, U23 China is almost certain to still be loyal to their familiar counter-attacking defense tactics, waiting for opportunities from fast-moving situations. However, before the continuous pressure and superior squad depth of U23 Japan, the possibility of China standing firm for 90 minutes is not high.
U23 China deserves to be recognized for their impressive journey, but the balance of power in the final still leans completely towards U23 Japan. With dang cap, kinh nghiem and vuot troi stability, "Samurai xanh" is likely to completely control the game and win to step onto the Asian U23 championship for the third time.
Score prediction: U23 Japan 2-0 U23 China.
