On June 6, 2025, in the third round of the World Cup Asian Qualifiers Group 1, China Team faced Uzbekistan.
In the 12th minute of the match, Uzbekistan was awarded a corner kick from the right side.
Inside the penalty area, China Team's center-back, Wei Zhen, accidentally touched the ball with his right hand in a panic, and the Referee decisively awarded a penalty kick.
The Uzbekistan forward scored effortlessly.
China Team fell behind 0:1.
The first half ended without further incident, and both teams went into halftime.
Gao Nuo's performance today was mediocre.
Gao Nuo was somewhat unaccustomed to China Team's newly adopted 4-4-2 tactic.
Furthermore, China Team heavily utilized young players, and there was a significant gap in game rhythm and understanding compared to Gao Nuo.
Gao Nuo seemed somewhat out of place with the team in the forward position.
During the 15-minute break, China Team still did not make any effective adjustments.
In the 74th minute of the match, Gao Nuo received a diagonal pass from Hu Hetao and charged into the penalty area from the flank.
Facing two defenders, Gao Nuo raised his arms, maintained his balance, and protected the ball while being sandwiched by the two players.
After stabilizing his body, Gao Nuo seized the gap between the two defenders, stepped on and flicked the ball, and slipped through the narrow space.
After entering the penalty area, Gao Nuo once again displayed his individual ability, scoring with an undeniable powerful shot.
China Team's relief didn't last long; three minutes later, Uzbekistan made a comeback.
In the 77th minute of the match, Uzbekistan was awarded a free kick opportunity in the attacking half.
Jaloliddin Masharipov stood over the ball and took a direct shot with a curling kick.
Goalkeeper Li Hao correctly judged the direction of the ball and leaped to make a save.
The ball flew towards the top left corner of the goal, and due to his height disadvantage, Li Hao's fingertips barely missed touching the ball.
Uzbekistan led China Team 2:1.
For the next 10 minutes or so, Uzbekistan parked the bus, Gao Nuo was tightly marked by three players, and China Team could no longer break open the opponent's goal.
The match ended, and China Team regrettably lost.
With the results of other matches coming in, the next game would no longer affect the final qualification outcome.
In Group 1, Iran and Saudi Arabia qualified together.
Uzbekistan and China Team ranked 3rd and 4th respectively, and would participate in the fourth-round play-offs.
India and the Philippines, at the bottom of the rankings, were already more than 10 points behind and had no chance of qualifying.
After three days of adjustment, China Team regrouped and continued to face the final match of the third round.
On June 10, 2025, in the third round of the World Cup Asian Qualifiers Group 1, China Team faced India.
In the 13th minute of the match, China Team launched an attack, Hu Hetao and Ai Feierding combined skillfully on the left flank, passing the ball continuously to get past the opponents.
Ai Feierding, who had moved to the byline, sent a high cross, and Gao Nuo leaped high in the penalty area to score with a header.
China Team led 1:0.
In the 39th minute of the match, China Team demonstrated the counter-attacking speed of their 4-4-2 formation.
Substitute Wang Xiaochuan intercepted an opponent's pass and sent a through ball over the top behind the opponent's defense.
Gao Nuo's explosive speed left all opponents behind, and after gaining possession, he charged towards India's goal.
There was no suspense; a world-class forward's one-on-one shot was far beyond what the goalkeeper could block.
Gao Nuo scored twice, and China Team led 2:0 at halftime.
The second half began, and in the 55th minute, Gao Nuo, as expected, returned to the bench.
Watching his young teammates' performance, Gao Nuo nodded occasionally, his demeanor almost making people forget that he was also just a 21-and-a-half-year-old young man.
After two international matches, China Team ultimately ranked 4th in the third round of the World Cup Asian Qualifiers Group 1.
This meant that in the fourth round, China Team would compete with Jordan and Thailand for first place in the group, securing a direct qualification spot.
Even if they ultimately ranked 2nd, China Team would again compete with the 2nd-placed team from another group for the last qualification spot.
With the World Cup reform, the main tournament would feature 48 teams.
Asia was allocated 9 qualification spots, making China's entry into the main tournament a logical progression.
After finishing the national team matches, Gao Nuo truly began his vacation.
Returning to Shudu for two days of rest, Gao Nuo either had meals with friends or participated in promotions for his new shoes.
In the studio, Gao Nuo, wearing the latest GAO.SX5 football boots, posed one after another for the camera under the director's guidance.
"Ring ~ Ring ~ Ring ~"
The phone rang, and Gao Nuo, who was in the middle of a photoshoot, apologized, walked aside, and pressed the answer button.
"Hello, Qiang Ge."
"Xiao Nuo, there's no problem with the Su Xun contract. I'll send it to you to review. Once you've decided, you'll need to sign it."
"Okay, I'll give you my answer after I finish this photoshoot."
"Okay, I'm flying to Milan soon. I'll contact you later."
"Okay, be safe."
After hanging up, Gao Nuo continued his promotional work.
An hour later, Gao Nuo took out his tablet in the car on his way home, opened the Su Xun contract, and meticulously browsed through it.
Zhao Dong was determined to tie his company and Gao Nuo together, offering a lifetime contract with full sincerity.
Firstly, before Gao Nuo's retirement, he would receive an annual endorsement fee of 100 million China Yuan.
Then there were various bonuses; any awards won in club and international competitions would come with corresponding prize money.
Additionally, 50% of the profits from the Gao Nuo series of football boots would belong to Gao Nuo personally.
Finally, there was a 10% share in Su Xun Sports.
Looking solely at the contract value, it naturally didn't earn as much as the wealthy big brands.
However, it had unlimited potential for appreciation.
After weighing the pros and cons, Gao Nuo chose to sign. He had absolute confidence in himself, and the China market behind him infinitely amplified the value of the 10% share.
Li Qiang had become shrewd and experienced in the field of agents.
Rejecting all contact requests from La Liga teams, Li Qiang began flying around Germany, France, and Italy.
Media reports followed one after another.
"Inter Milan meets with Gao Nuo's agent, set to make an official offer."
"Gao Nuo's agent dines with Zidane in Paris; Paris Saint-Germain hopes to use Gao Nuo to fill the void left by Mbappé's departure."
"Bayern's top brass and Gao Nuo's agent had a pleasant conversation; rumors of a high transfer fee make the deal a mystery."
"Manchester United fans protest, dissatisfied with Gao Nuo's current status at the club."
"Real Madrid fans who insulted Gao Nuo in the Champions League Final publicly apologize, hoping Gao Nuo can let bygones be bygones and reconsider the club's offer."
"Chelsea's owner publicly stated that Gao Nuo's treatment at Manchester United was shocking, and if possible, they would be willing to offer Gao Nuo the highest salary within the team."
Among the myriad of news, some were reported spontaneously by the media, while others were actively released by Li Qiang's team.
After waiting a few days for public opinion to fully ferment, Li Qiang finally revealed his true intentions.