A soccer mystery: Why mighty China fails at the world's biggest sport
In April, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited a company that makes humanoid robots. There he floated an idea to fix the country's woeful men's soccer team.
'Can we have robots join the team?' Xi was quoted as saying on the website of Zhiyuan Robotics.
It might be too late. China will be out of World Cup qualifying if it fails to beat Indonesia on Thursday. Even a victory may only delay the departure.
What's the problem? China has 1.4 billion people, the globe's second largest economy and won 40 Olympic gold medals last year in Paris to tie the United States. Why can't it find 11 elite men's soccer players?
How soccer explains a bit of China
The government touches every aspect of life in China. That top-down control has helped China become the largest manufacturer of everything from electronics to shoes to steel.
It has tried to run soccer, but that rigid governance hasn't worked.
'What soccer reflects is the social and political problems of China," Zhang Feng, a Chinese journalist and commentator, tells The Associated Press. "It's not a free society. It doesn't have the team-level trust that allows players to pass the ball to each other without worrying.'
Zhang argues that politics has stalled soccer's growth. And there's added pressure since Xi's a big fan and has promised to resuscitate the game at home. Soccer is a world language with its 'own grammar,' says Zhang, and China doesn't speak it.
'In China, the more emphasis the leader places on soccer, the more nervous the society gets, the more power the bureaucrats get, and the more corrupt they become," Zhang adds.
Xi Jinping's dream — or nightmare?
After China defeated Thailand 2-1 in 2023, Xi joked with Srettha Thavisin, the Thai prime minister at the time. "I feel luck was a big part of it,' Xi said.
The consensus is clear. China has too few quality players at the grass roots, too much political interference from the Communist Party, and there's too much corruption in the local game.
Wang Xiaolei, another prominent Chinese commentator, suggests that soccer clashes with China's top-down governance and the emphasis on rote learning.
'What are we best at? Dogma," Wang wrote in a blog last year. 'But football cannot be dogmatic. What are we worst at? Inspiring ingenuity, and cultivating passion.'
Soccer is bigger than China
The latest chapter in China's abysmal men's soccer history was a 7-0 loss last year to geopolitical rival Japan.
'The fact that this defeat can happen and people aren't that surprised — despite the historical animosity — just illustrates the problems facing football in China," says Cameron Wilson, a Scot who has worked in China for 20 years and written extensively about the game there.
China has qualified for only one men's World Cup. That was 2002 when it went scoreless and lost all three matches. Soccer's governing body FIFA places China at No. 94 in its rankings — behind war-torn Syria and ahead of No. 95 Benin.
For perspective: Iceland is the smallest country to reach the World Cup. Its latest population estimate is almost 400,000.
The website Soccerway tracks global football and doesn't show a single Chinese player in a top European league. The national team's best player is forward Wu Lei, who played for three seasons in Spain's La Liga for Espanyol. The club's majority owner in Chinese.
The 2026 World Cup will have a field of 48 teams, a big increase on the 32 in 2022, yet China still might not make it.
China will be eliminated from qualification if it loses to Indonesia. Even if it wins, China must also beat Bahrain on June 10 to have any hope of advancing to Asia's next qualifying stage.
An outsider views Chinese soccer
Englishman Rowan Simons has spent almost 40 years in China and gained fame doing television commentary in Chinese on English Premier League matches. He also wrote the 2008 book 'Bamboo Goalposts.'
China is benefiting from reforms over the last decade that placed soccer in schools. But Simons argues that soccer culture grows from volunteers, civil society and club organizations, none of which can flourish in China since they are possible challengers to the rule of the Communist Party.
'In China at the age of 12 or 13, when kids go to middle school, it's known as the cliff,' he says. "Parents may allow their kids to play sports when they're younger, but as soon as it comes to middle school the academic pressure is on — things like sport go by the wayside.'
To be fair, the Chinese women's team has done better than the men. China finished runner-up in the 1999 Women's World Cup but has faded as European teams have surged with built-in expertise from the men's game. Spain won the 2023 Women's World Cup. China was knocked out early, battered 6-1 by England in group play.
China has been successful targeting Olympic sports, some of which are relatively obscure and rely on repetitive training more than creativity. Olympic team sports like soccer offer only one medal. So, like many countries, China focuses on sports with multiple medals. In China's case it's diving, table tennis and weightlifting.
'For young people, there's a single value — testing well,' says Zhang, the commentator and journalist. "China would be OK if playing soccer were only about bouncing the ball 1,000 times."
The face of corruption
Li Tie, the national team coach for about two years beginning in January 2020, was last year sentenced to 20 years in prison for bribery and match fixing. Other top administrators have also been accused of corruption.
The graft also extended to the domestic Super League. Clubs spent millions — maybe billions — on foreign talents backed by many state-owned businesses and, before the collapse of the housing boom, real-estate developers.
The poster child was Guangzhou Evergrande. The eight-time Super League champions, once coached by Italian Marcello Lippi, was expelled from the league and disbanded earlier this year, unable to pay off its debts.
Zhang says businessmen invested in professional soccer teams as a 'political tribute" and cited Hui Ka-yan. The embattled real estate developer financed the Guangzhou Evergrande Football Club and used soccer to win favor from politicians.
Property giant Evergrande has amassed debts reported at $300 billion, reflective of China's battered property segment and the general health of the economy.
'China's failure at the international level and corruption throughout the game, these are all factors that lead parents away from letting their kids get involved,' says Simons, who founded a youth soccer club called China Club Football FC.
'Parents look at what's going on and question if they want their kids to be involved. It's sad and frustrating.'
Wade reported from Tokyo and Tang from Washington.
___
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
29 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
‘I'm crazy… I'll beat the s*** out of you' – Heated moment furious Inter star Acerbi threatens to fight PSG fan
Acerbi also rowed with his national team boss earlier this month CERB YOUR ENTHUSIASM 'I'm crazy… I'll beat the s*** out of you' – Heated moment furious Inter star Acerbi threatens to fight PSG fan Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) INTER MILAN star Francesco Acerbi threatened to fight a Paris Saint-Germain fan during a meet and greet in the US. The Italian veteran, 37, is in Seattle with the Serie A giants for the Club World Cup. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 🔥Un tifoso con la maglia del #PSG chiama #Acerbi al termine dell'allenamento nel campus di UCLA Il difensore dell'#Inter risponde furioso: "Preso per il culo, no. Io matto, ti sfondo di botte" 📽 @footballersirl — (@calciomercatoit) June 20, 2025 3 Francesco Acerbi got angry during a meet and greet in the US Credit: X 3 Bradley Barcola sent Acerbi to the ground during the Champions League final During a fan meet and greet, Acerbi was cheekily reminded of the moment Bradley Barcola outfoxed him during Inter's 5-0 humiliation at the hands of PSG in last month's Champions League final. Speaking via a translator, the centre-back was fuming with the supporter. The translator sternly warned the fan: "You must be serious with him." Acerbi then let rip in Italian, blasting: "I'm serious. Don't make fun of me - I don't like it… I'm crazy, I'll beat the s*** out of you." READ MORE IN FOOTBALL CAPITAL LOSS Championship club could be forced to leave beloved stadium for third time WATCH EVERY MATCH OF THE CLUB WORLD CUP 2025 LIVE ON DAZN The Italy international still looked irritated as he moved along to take selfies with other fans. Inter are looking to bounce back quickly from their Champions League mauling as they compete in the Club World Cup. The Italian giants are playing under new manager Cristian Chivu, with Simone Inzaghi having left for Saudi side Al-Hilal. Inter drew their opener 1-1 vs Monterrey, with Acerbi playing the full 90 minutes. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK 3 Acerbi was back in action in the Club World Cup earlier this week Credit: Getty The defender was playing in his first match since the Champions League final, having turned down an Italy call-up. Acerbi missed games against Norway and Moldova, as he felt "disrespected" by boss Luciano Spalletti, who has since resigned. The 34-cap star wrote on Instagram: "It's not a decision I have taken lightly. However, I believe that in light of recent events the conditions aren't there today for me to go forward with serenity. "I demand respect. If that respect is lacking from those who should lead the group, I prefer to step aside. "I won't stay where I'm no longer truly wanted and it's clear I'm not part of the coach's project." Spalletti subsequently resigned following an awful 3-0 defeat in Norway, with Gennaro Gattuso taking over. Inter return to action this evening, as they face Japanese side Urawa Reds in Seattle. They will then conclude their group stage campaign by taking on River Plate at the same venue on Wednesday.
Reuters
32 minutes ago
- Reuters
Shanto hits twin tons as Bangladesh draw first test against Sri Lanka
June 21 (Reuters) - Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto blasted twin centuries to help his side draw the first test against Sri Lanka in Galle on Saturday, while Angelo Mathews brought the curtain down on his red-ball career after more than 100 games for the hosts. Shanto followed up his first-innings hundred with an unbeaten 125 in the second stanza after Mushfiqur Rahim was run out for 49, and Bangladesh declared on 285-6 to set Sri Lanka a steep victory target of 296 runs from 37 overs. Sri Lanka lost a couple of quick wickets before Mathews, a veteran with more than 8,000 test runs to his name, held steadfast with the bat - albeit barely scoring any runs. In the end, Bangladesh called it a day with the score on 72-4 with five overs left. Bangladesh had made Sri Lanka toil on the opening two days, amassing 495 runs in their first innings including 148 for Shanto and 163 for Rahim, with Litton Das (90) unlucky to miss out on a century of his own. What followed was a batting tug-of-war on a placid wicket as Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka piled up 187 runs before Dinesh Chandimal (54) and Kamindu Mendis (87) helped the hosts reach 485 to concede only a 10-run lead at the halfway mark. Bangladesh off-spinner Nayeem Hasan, who had begun to extract turn and bounce on a pitch showing signs of wear on the fourth day, claimed 5-121 - his fourth five-wicket haul in tests - to ensure Sri Lanka could not build a lead of their own. The tourists then roared to 177-3 in their second innings at the end of the penultimate day for a healthy advantage, with Shadman Islam (76) giving them the chance to push for a rare overseas test victory and valuable World Test Championship points. After showers late in the opening session on the fifth day wiped out 26 overs, Shanto reached his well-deserved hundred and asked Sri Lanka to bat again and attempt to chase down their big target at an asking rate of eight runs an over. Former captain Mathews, who scored 39 in Sri Lanka's first innings, showed resilience in the final session and received a standing ovation when he fell for eight off 45 balls in his 119th and final test. The result was the first drawn game in Galle for 12 years. The second test starts in Colombo next Wednesday and the two sides later play three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 internationals.
Scottish Sun
44 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Marc Guehi makes decision between Arsenal and Liverpool with England defender lined up for summer transfer
Arsenal already missed out on another top centre-back this summer MARC MY WORDS Marc Guehi makes decision between Arsenal and Liverpool with England defender lined up for summer transfer Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MARC GUEHI is prepared to turn down joining Arsenal this summer which has put Liverpool on high alert to swoop. The Crystal Palace and England defender wants regular first-team football and assurances from boss Mikel Arteta that he will get it in the North London team. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Marc Guehi is prepared to turn down Arsenal this summer Credit: Alamy But William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes would almost certainly start ahead of the 24-year-old if he was to move there. With Liverpool selling Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen the club are on the lookout for a centre-back and sources say they are eyeing Guehi. The defender does not want to be sitting on the bench with the World Cup coming up next summer and Liverpool could be the perfect fit. Arsenal have just tied Gabriel down to a new contract running until 2029, while the Gunners top brass are also keen to extend Saliba's stay at the Emirates. READ MORE ON ARSENAL NOT ZORL OVER Arsenal icon Cazorla tried to play for free and is forced to use weak foot The pair, who have formed the crux of the best defence in the league for two seasons, are seen as part of the long-term future at Arsenal and would likely be preferred as starters over Guehi. Guehi featured 44 times for Crystal Palace last season, scoring three times helping the Eagles to earn a record Premier League points tally and lift the FA Cup. While he has become a regular for the England national team in recent seasons, racking up 23 caps and standing out as one of the Three Lions' top performers at Euro 2024. Arsenal missed out on the signing of Dean Huijsen already this summer after the 20-year-old centre-back chose a switch to Real Madrid over joining Arteta's ranks. 2 Join SUN CLUB for the Arsenal Files every Friday plus in-depth coverage and exclusives from The Emirates The Gunners remain focused on signings elsewhere in their squad too. Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi is already in London to finalise his Prem switch. Gabriel urges Arsenal to complete £67m transfer for 'phenomenal' Brazil team-mate Rodrygo amid Real Madrid frustration While the search for a striker continues with both Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko still of interest to the Gunners hierarchy. Meanwhile 18-year-old rising star Myles Lewis-Skelly is reportedly on the brink of putting pen to paper on a new long-term deal to seal his future with the club too.
