The Chinese men's football team is preparing for the round of 18 of the 3rd phase of the 2026 US-Canada-Mexico World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Asia, and it is reported that the progress of the new naturalized players is not as expected, and the star Wu Lei has just undergone surgery on his right knee, which is undoubtedly a major blow to the Chinese men's football team, which has 4 fewer naturalized players.

Chinese men's football naturalized player Fernando (left)

In the 26-man squad announced by the Chinese men's football team on January 4 this year, there are no 4 naturalized players Fernandinho and Nico Yennaris. Wu Lei recently underwent surgery on his right knee, and the rehabilitation period is expected to take 8 to 10 weeks.

The 35-year-old Ackerson and Alan both withdrew from the Chinese men's football team due to age, while Li Ke from England has no intention of wearing the Chinese team jersey again. The 30-year-old Fernando, from Brazil, received a Chinese passport in 2019 and will make his debut for the Chinese men's football team in 2024, scoring one goal in two games. According to the "Tencent" report, Fernando previously said that he was injured and did not go to the Chinese men's football team, but he previously posted a group photo of playing football in Brazil on the limited-time story of social media IG, which caused dissatisfaction among Chinese fans.

Chinese men's football naturalized player Fernando (left)

Oscar Maritu, a 25-year-old Congolese striker who currently plays for Yunnan Yukun Football Club in the Chinese Super League, is one of the players that the Chinese men's football team wants to naturalize, but the naturalization progress is slow, and it is difficult to catch up with the World Cup qualification match in March.

In the 3rd round of the Asian zone of the 2026 World Cup Qualifying Tournament, the Chinese men's football team is in Group C with Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Wu Lei

The Japanese men's football team is 5-1 and ranks first in the group, the second-place Australian team has a record of 1 win, 4 and 1 defeat with 7 points, and China is at the bottom with 2 wins and 4 defeats with 6 points, so the Chinese men's football team still has some slight hope of squeezing into the second place in the group. The Chinese men's football team will next meet Saudi Arabia and Australia in March.