No Asian team managed to go far this World Cup (again). What's holding them back?
For the sixth World Cup in a row, no team from the Asian Football Confederation made it past the first knockout round, winning only three games out of 29. Asian teams are competitive — up to a point.
For the sixth World Cup in a row, no team from the Asian Football Confederation made it past the first knockout round, winning only three games out of 29. Asian teams are competitive — up to a point.
This article was originally published at: https://www.npr.org/2026/07/16/nx-s1-5884732/world-cup-as...