Question: have china ever qualified for the world cup

Answer: Yes, The China national team was founded in 1924 and joined FIFA in 1931--1958, and then from 1979. China first entered World Cup qualification in 1957 in an attempt to qualify for the 1958 FIFA World Cup. China failed to score a goal in their maiden World Cup appearance in 2002. However, qualifying for the tournament has been considered the greatest accomplishment in China's football history. As football is widely followed in China, triumph by the national team is considered to be a source of national pride. Around 300 million people tuned into broadcasts of China's World Cup 2002 matches, with 170 million new television sets being purchased by citizens in order to watch their nation's first World Cup appearance. The team is colloquially referred to as Team China (中国队), the National Team (国家队) or Guozu (国足, lit. ``national foot'' also meaning national football).