A spectator ran onto the field and briefly disrupted the China-Japan soccer World Cup qualifier in China's eastern city Xiamen on Tuesday.

XIAMEN -- China conceded three headers and lost to Japan 3-1 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier here on Tuesday. In the first leg clash between the two teams in September, the Japanese team thrashed China 7-0. The Chinese side started the match with high-quality defending, until the 39th minute, when Koki Ogawa headed home in a corner cross.

Japan's march to the 2026 World Cup continued on Tuesday as Hajime Moriyasu's side handed China a 3-1 defeat in Xiamen to notch up a fifth win in Asia's third round of preliminaries while Saudi Arabia suffered a 2-0 loss against Indonesia.

Koki Ogawa scored on a pair of headers as Japan took another step toward the 2026 World Cup with a 3-1 win away to China that

In Group C, Japan consolidated their lead with a 3-1 defeat of China in Xiamen. Koki Ogawa scored twice, opening the scoring and netting Japan's third. Ko Itakura put Japan 2-0 up on the stroke of half-time, with Lin Liangming pulling one back for China early in the second half.

Japan is within touching distance of an eighth straight World Cup appearance after a 3-1 win over China put the team nine points clear of second-place Australia which drew 2-2 with Bahrain in their As

Japan moved to the cusp of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday as a 3-1 win over hosts China coupled with Australia's 2-2 draw in Bahrain took Hajime Moriyasu's side nine points clear in Group C of the third round of Asia's preliminaries.

Saudi Arabia's troubled 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign hit a new setback as they were beaten 2-0 by Indonesia in Jakarta on Tuesday. Marselino Ferdinan, who plays his football in England with Oxford United,