Ante Milicic Leaves China Women’s Team Eight Months Before 2027 World Cup

China will enter the final eight months before the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup without head coach Ante Milicic. His departure leaves the team with qualification secured but its preparations for Brazil under new management. That timing puts the Chinese Football Association in a familiar coaching dilemma: preserve continuity by promoting from within, or appoint someone new and accept the adjustment that comes with a change of direction.

Qualification secured, then a late change

Appointed in May 2024, Milicic led China to the semi-finals of the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia, earning the team a place at next year’s tournament in Brazil. China, currently ranked 16th in the world, announced his exit ahead of the World Cup. Qualification is a substantial piece of the job already completed, but it doesn’t settle the harder question of how competitive the team can be once it reaches the tournament.

The Chinese Football Association said the decision followed “friendly communication and consultations between both sides” and took Milicic’s family situation into account. That account points to a mutually discussed departure, though the brief statement offers little detail about the timing or what the change means for the coaching staff. There’s no basis to read more into it than the association has said.

China’s recent fourth-place finish at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan came after a 2-0 semi-final defeat to North Korea. Across 21 international matches, Milicic recorded 10 wins, four draws and seven losses, scoring 40 goals and conceding 32. Those figures provide a useful summary, but they can’t explain the performance by themselves: results also depend on the strength of opponents, match context and how a team performs in decisive games.

The numbers here are mixed. Ten wins show that China could produce results during Milicic’s tenure, while the losses and the Asian Games semi-final exit underline the work still ahead. A fourth-place finish isn’t the same as a failed campaign, but it does mean the team ended that competition short of the final two.

A return to international coaching

Milicic previously coached Australia’s Matildas, taking them to the Round of 16 at the 2019 FIFA World Cup. He also served as a Socceroos assistant at two World Cups and was part of Ange Postecoglou’s staff when Australia won the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. His résumé spans both head coaching and assistant roles, giving him experience with the demands of major international tournaments.

That background matters, though it doesn’t make the next appointment straightforward. A successor will inherit a squad that has qualified and a limited period to establish working relationships, assess the team’s strengths and settle on a plan. In national team football, where coaches have less time with players than club managers do, the first choices about selection and playing style can shape preparation quickly.

What the change means for Brazil

China now faces a short window to appoint a successor and prepare for Brazil, with qualification already secured and the team’s next challenge being to build on its Asian Cup run. The new coach won’t be starting from zero: the team has recent tournament experience and a place at the World Cup. But there’s a difference between arriving with a ticket and arriving with a settled approach.

Here’s the thing: a coaching change this close to a major tournament can compress the time available for evaluation and practice. The next coach will need to understand what worked under Milicic, decide what should change and communicate that clearly to the players (and this is the part most people overlook). A rapid overhaul could create uncertainty; too much caution could leave known weaknesses untouched. Hard choices, on a tight clock.

If you’re working in this space, the first signs to watch will be practical ones: how quickly a successor is named, whether the existing staff remains involved and what the team looks like in its next matches. Those are indicators of preparation, not guarantees of success. Brazil will be the test, but the transition begins now.

That said, the departure doesn’t erase Milicic’s main achievement with China: qualification. The challenge is turning that foundation into a team capable of making its tournament place count. With less than eight months to prepare, the appointment and the decisions that follow it will carry unusual weight.