Branko Ivankovic has been fired as the national team coach following the squad's elimination from the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup this month, the Chinese Football Association has announced.

The 71-year-old Croatian coach was removed from the post as a result of China finishing fifth in Group C of the continent's preliminaries for next year's 48-team finals, which will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

"The Chinese Football Association expresses gratitude to Mr 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," a CFA statement said on Friday.

"We wish Mr. Ivankovic all the best in his future work and life."

Ivankovic, who led Iran at the World Cup finals in Germany in 2006, was appointed China's coach in February 2024, replacing Aleksandar Jankovic. He steered the country into the third phase of Asia's World Cup qualifying.

His team recovered from a poor start to maintain their hopes of a place at their first World Cup since the nation's debut appearance at the finals in 2002.

Wins over Indonesia and Bahrain kept the national team in contention for a berth in the fourth round of qualifying, but losses to Japan, Saudi Arabia and Australia were followed by a defeat against Indonesia on June 5 that ended any prospect of progressing.

The Chinese association said Dejan Djurdjevic, who led China to the quarter-finals of the Under 20 Asian Cup in Shenzhen in February, will take over on a caretaker basis for next month's East Asian Championship in South Korea. (Reuters)