Japanese Media: Chinese Enterprises Shine at the World Cup, But Where Are the Main Characters?

On June 20, The World (Japanese Edition) published an article stating that starting with the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the number of participating nations will expand to 48, and Asia's qualification spots will increase to 8.5. However, despite this expansion, China's national team still failed to secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup.

Why has Chinese football not made progress? Ironically, on the sponsorship front, Chinese enterprises are increasingly expanding their influence at the World Cup.

Global partners of FIFA include Mengniu Dairy, Hisense, and Lenovo, and many participating national teams have partnerships with Chinese companies.

TCL, focusing on home appliances and display businesses, sponsored Argentina, Brazil, and Germany, while appliance company Vatti partnered with Spain.

Additionally, England international midfielder Declan Rice, who plays for Arsenal, was selected by Xiaomi smartphones for official events.

Initially, of course, China's national team aimed to participate in the World Cup, but this goal still seems unattainable today.

During the 2010s, the Chinese Super League attracted attention due to its concentration of financially powerful star players, but it has now completely lost momentum. The plan to strengthen the national team through the super league ultimately ended in failure.

Yet, grassroots football is gaining support from fans. The Jiangsu Super League, as a city-to-city football competition, is gradually bringing new hope to Chinese football. Currently, 13 teams from Jiangsu Province participate in the Jiangsu Super League, with each match attracting over 60,000 spectators—this amateur football event has rapidly gained popularity.

Other provinces are also striving to learn from Jiangsu’s experience, and such accumulation may indirectly enhance the strength of China’s national team.

Although China seemingly possesses many advantages—such as a large population and strong economic power—the question remains: when will China finally qualify for the Asian final round? This is an intriguing topic.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1868477072446473/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) alone.