Dejan djurdjevic

The Chinese Football Association: The Chinese Football Association (CFA) announced on Friday the dismissal of national team head coach Branko Ivankovic following China's failure to secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The CFA confirmed in an official statement that its contract with Ivankovic has been automatically terminated after China failed to advance into the playoff stage of the World Cup Asian qualifiers.

"The Chinese Football Association expresses gratitude to Branko Ivankovic and his coaching staff for their dedicated efforts during their tenure with the men's national team and their contributions to Chinese football. We wish Ivankovic all the best in his future work and life," the statement said.