China has appeared at the World Cup only once, in 2002, when it lost all three group matches against Costa Rica, Brazil and Turkey.
The report says the team finished that campaign with:
The attacking failure is what separates China’s record from a routine group-stage exit. Three defeats can reflect a difficult draw or narrow margins; ending a tournament without scoring leaves a more enduring mark.
The comparison reaches back to 1938, but the tournament format matters. Indonesia, competing as the Dutch East Indies, also failed to score in its only World Cup appearance. However, that edition used a straight knockout format rather than a group stage, so the team did not have the same opportunity to collect points.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo previously endured a similarly difficult tournament in 1974, losing all three matches without scoring and conceding 14 goals. Its latest appearance has altered that record, with the report crediting the team’s goal against Portugal and its first World Cup point.
China’s unwanted distinction is therefore narrow but clear: a group-stage participant since 1938 with neither a goal nor a point. Its next qualification campaign will be judged against that 2002 baseline, with even a single goal or point enough to change the conversation.