中国国家男子足球队上周四在客场对阵日本，以0比7惨败。这场比赛不仅创下了国足在国际正式比赛中的最大比分差距，还刷新了世界杯预选赛的历史分差纪录。虽然过去26年里，中国队从未战胜过日本队，但这次的惨败尤其让球迷倍感震惊。

中国拥有14亿人口，还有庞大的足球迷群体，但男子足球的表现为何屡屡让人失望？网络上的嘲讽与调侃层出不穷。赢不了球的中国男足，难道真的成了大众的笑柄？

更有意思的是，中央电视台并未转播这场比赛。这背后究竟是单纯的经济原因、认为版权费太高，还是另有其他政治考量？

这期的早报播客《东谈西论》，听主持人韩咏红与《联合早报》驻北京的记者于泽远详细解析这场比赛背后的舆论风波。

延伸阅读：

• 于泽远：中国国足输出了喜感
• 张田勘：0比7是一个苦涩的参照数字

Chinese football fans are reeling after their national team suffered a record-breaking 7-0 defeat against arch-rivals Japan in a crucial World Cup qualifier. The match was China’s worst defeat in the team’s history as well as the biggest goal difference in World Cup qualifying history. It has sparked outrage and despair across the nation. This crushing defeat goes beyond a sporting disappointment; it touches upon national pride and reignites long-standing frustrations regarding China's struggle to establish itself as a football powerhouse. What does this loss mean for the future of Chinese football? 

In this episode of Global Heartbeat, host Han Yonghong and Lianhe Zaobao’s China News Copy Editor Yu Zeyuan examine the state of Chinese men's football.

Hosted by Lianhe Zaobao’s Associate Editor, Han Yong Hong, Global Heartbeat is a Mandarin weekly news and current affairs podcast that is updated every Tuesday, 7.00 PM SGT. It is available on zaobao.sg, Apple Podcast, Spotify and other podcast platforms.