China–Japan football rivalry

China–Japan football rivalry
LocationAsia (AFC)
East Asia (EAFF)
Teams China
 Japan
First meeting9 May 1917
Far East Asian Games
Japan 0–5 China
Latest meeting19 November 2024
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
China 1–3 Japan
Statistics
Meetings total43
Most winsJapan (19)
All-time seriesChina: 15
Draw: 9
Japan: 19
Largest victoryJapan 7–0 China
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
(5 September 2024)
China–Japan football rivalry is located in Asia
China
China
Japan
Japan

The China–Japan football rivalry is a competitive sports rivalry that exists between the national football teams of the two countries, as well as their respective sets of fans. Historical tensions had stemmed this rivalry into one of the most heated rivalries in Asia and the world.[1]

Men's matches

The men's football teams of China (then called the Republic of China) and Japan first met each other in 1917 at the Far Eastern Championship Games, which Japan hosted.

Prior to the 1990s, China were one of Asia's dominant men's football teams while football in Japan was still limited to amateur levels, partly due to little interest in development for the sport. Thus, Japan suffered many defeats to China. But with the rapid rise of the Japanese men's national team since the 1990s, the tide has turned. Nowadays, Japan have become far more successful than China in men's football, winning four AFC Asian Cups and have played in every FIFA World Cup since 1998, while China are runners-up in two Asian Cups (one on home soil) and qualified for just one World Cup in 2002, which Japan co-hosted along with South Korea.

# Date Venue Competition Home team Score Away team Goals (home) Goals (away)
1 9 May 1917 Shibaura Ground, Tokyo Far Eastern Championship Games Japan 0–5 China Fung Kin Wai 3', 22', ?', Kwok Po Kan 28', Tong Fuk Cheung 30'
2 1 June 1921 Shanghai Far Eastern Championship Games China 4–1 Japan
3 24 May 1923 Osaka Far Eastern Championship Games Japan 1–5 China
4 20 May 1925 Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila Far Eastern Championship Games 0–2 Lee Wai Tong -', -'
5 27 August 1927 Zhonghua Stadium, Shanghai Far Eastern Championship Games China 5–1 Japan Suen Kam Shun 19', 30', Kai Bingfen 21', -', 73' Misao Tamai 41'
6 30 May 1930 Meiji Jingu Gaien Stadium, Tokyo Far Eastern Championship Games Japan 3–3 China Shiro Teshima 23', Tadao Takayama 57', Hideo Shinojima 73' Suen Kam Shun 40', Chan Kwong Yiu 60', Dai Linjing 70'
7 20 May 1934 Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila Far Eastern Championship Games China 4–3 Japan Tam Kong Pak 6', 11', Lee Wai Tong 65', 76' (pen.) Akira Nozawa 60', 72', Takeshi Natori 74'
8 1 May 1966 Unknown Friendly Japan 1–2 China
9 23 June 1975 Government Stadium, Hong Kong 1976 AFC Asian Cup qualification China 2–1 Japan Li Yutie 6', Ke Wushang 20' Kozo Arai 43'
10 11 June 1980 Tianhe Stadium, Guangzhou Friendly 1–0 Li Xiangfu 67'
11 26 December 1980 Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification 1–0 Rong Zhihang 7'
12 2 June 1981 Omiya Football Stadium, Saitama Friendly Japan 0–0 China
13 30 September 1981 Singapore Lion City Cup Japan 2–0 China
14 31 January 1983 Kochi Nehru Cup China 5–0 Japan
15 31 May 1984 Omiya Football Stadium, Saitama Kirin Cup Japan 1–0 China Hisashi Kato 84' (pen.)
16 27 July 1986 Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur Merdeka Cup 4–2 Hisashi Kaneko 8', 55', Hiromi Hara 75', Satoshi Tezuka 76' Li Zheng 44', Wang Yong 77'
17 2 June 1988 Mizuho Stadium, Nagoya Kirin Cup Japan 0–3 China Wang Baoshan 24', Gao Sheng 41', Ma Lin 45'
18 10 May 1990 Nishigaoka Stadium, Tokyo Friendly Japan 2–2 China Tomoyuki Kajino 17', Osamu Maeda 56' 14' (o.g.), Zhang Shaowen 63'
19 13 May 1990 Okayama Stadium, Okayama Friendly Japan 2–0 China Osamu Maeda 26', Mitsunori Yoshida 40'
20 29 July 1990 Workers' Stadium, Beijing Dynasty Cup China 1–0 Japan Wu Qunli 77'
21 24 August 1992 Workers' Stadium, Beijing Dynasty Cup China 0–2 Japan Masahiro Fukuda 38', Takuya Takagi 82'
22 6 November 1992 Hiroshima Stadium, Hiroshima AFC Asian Cup Japan 3–2 China Masahiro Fukuda 48', Tsuyoshi Kitazawa 57', Masashi Nakayama 84' Xie Yuxin 1', Li Xiao 70'
23 18 May 1993 Shanghai East Asian Games China 3–2 Japan
24 23 February 1995 Mong Kok Stadium, Hong Kong Dynasty Cup Japan 2–1 China Toshiya Fujita 16', Hisashi Kurosaki 22' Gao Feng 55'
25 12 December 1996 Tahnoun bin Mohamed Stadium, Al Ain AFC Asian Cup 1–0 Naoki Soma 90'
26 7 March 1998 National Stadium, Tokyo Dynasty Cup Japan 0–2 China Li Bing 9', 50'
27 15 March 2000 Universiade Memorial Stadium, Kobe Friendly Japan 0–0 China
28 26 October 2000 Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, Beirut AFC Asian Cup China 2–3 Japan Qi Hong 30', Yang Chen 48' Fan Zhiyi 21' (o.g.), Akinori Nishizawa 53', Tomokazu Myojin 61'
29 8 October 2002 Masan Stadium, Changwon Asian Games 0–1 Satoshi Nakayama 60'
30 4 December 2003 National Stadium, Tokyo EAFF Championship Japan 2–0 China Tatsuhiko Kubo 4', 80'
31 7 August 2004 Workers' Stadium, Beijing AFC Asian Cup China 1–3 Japan Li Ming 31' Takashi Fukunishi 22', Koji Nakata 65', Keiji Tamada 90+1'
32 3 August 2005 Daejeon World Cup Stadium, Daejeon EAFF Championship Japan 2–2 China Teruyuki Moniwa 59', Tatsuya Tanaka 87' Li Jinyu 37', Zhang Yonghai 43'
33 20 February 2008 Chongqing Olympic Sports Center, Chongqing EAFF Championship China 0–1 Japan Koji Yamase 17'
34 6 February 2010 Tokyo Stadium, Tokyo EAFF Championship Japan 0–0 China
35 21 July 2013 Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul EAFF Championship 3–3 Yuzo Kurihara 32', Yoichiro Kakitani 59', Masato Kudo 60' Wang Yongpo 4' (pen.), 80' (pen.), Sun Ke 86'
36 9 August 2015 Wuhan Sports Center Stadium, Wuhan EAFF Championship China 1–1 Japan Wu Lei 10' Yuki Muto 41'
37 12 December 2017 Ajinomoto Stadium, Chōfu EAFF Championship Japan 2–1 China Yu Kobayashi 84', Gen Shōji 88' Yu Dabao 90+3'
38 10 December 2019 Busan Gudeok Stadium, Busan EAFF Championship China 1–2 Japan Dong Xuesheng 90' Musashi Suzuki 29', Genta Miura 70'
39 7 September 2021 Khalifa International Stadium, Doha (Qatar)[2] 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification China 0–1 Japan Yuya Osako 40'
40 27 January 2022 Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama Japan 2–0 China Yuya Osako 13' (pen.), Junya Ito 61'
41 24 July 2022 Toyota Stadium, Toyota EAFF Championship Japan 0–0 China
42 5 September 2024 Saitama Stadium, Saitama 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Japan 7–0 China Wataru Endo 12', Kaoru Mitoma 45+2', Takumi Minamino 52', 58', Junya Ito 77', Daizen Maeda 87', Takefusa Kubo 90+5'
43 19 November 2024 Xiamen Egret Stadium, Xiamen China 1–3 Japan Lin Liangming 48' Koki Ogawa 39', 54', Ko Itakura 45+5'

Head-to-head record

As of 19 November 2024
Competition China wins Draws Japan wins
Total 15 9 19

Women's matches

# Date Venue Competition Home team Score Away team Goals (home) Goals (away)
1 31 August 2018 Gelora Sriwijaya, Palembang 2018 Asian Games Japan 1–0 China Yuika Sugasawa 90'
2 14 December 2019 Busan Gudeok Stadium, Busan 2019 EAFF E-1 Football Championship China 0–3 Japan Mana Iwabuchi 9', 44', 56'
3 4 February 2022 Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Pune 2022 Women's Asian Cup China 2–2 (a.e.t.)
(4–3 p) 		Japan Wu Chengshu 46', Wang Shanshan 119' Riko Ueki 26', 103'
4 26 July 2022 Kashima Soccer Stadium, Kashima 2022 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Japan 0–0 China

Head-to-head record

As of 26 July 2022
Competition China wins Draws Japan wins
Total 0 2 2

See also

References

  1. ^ Mangan, J.A.; Kim, Hyun-Duck; Cruz, Angelita; Kang, Gi-Heun (2013). "Rivalries: China, Japan and South Korea – Memory, Modernity, Politics, Geopolitics – and Sport". The International Journal of the History of Sport. 30 (10): 1130–1152. doi:10.1080/09523367.2013.800046. S2CID 154388658.
  2. ^ "Chinese national football team gears up for World Cup qualifiers". Xinhua News Agency. 19 August 2021.