The Hong Kong men's football team's bid to reach the 2026 men's World Cup finals started well on Thursday, as they thrashed Bhutan 4-nil at the Hong Kong Stadium.

The sides are two of the twenty lowest-ranked teams from the Asian Football Confederation, who are competing to reach the group stages of qualifying.

Thursday's match was the first of a double-header, with the winners advancing to face the likes of Iran, Uzbekistan or Turkmenistan in the second round of qualifying.

The Hong Kong team will visit Bhutan next Tuesday for the second leg.