British media finally found China's weakness, mocking the national football team's poor performance: despite strong technology, they can't even reach the finals!
Recently, *The Economist* published a lengthy commentary titled "Why Is Chinese Football So Bad?" It pointed out that the World Cup has expanded to 48 teams, and Asia’s qualification spots have increased to 8.5 — a scenario many call "the easiest-ever World Cup." Yet China still failed to seize the opportunity.
The author’s conclusion is straightforward: the problem isn’t about entry barriers; it lies within Chinese football itself.
This article sparked considerable discussion on Chinese social media. Many fans were left silent after reading it—not because of any new insights, but precisely because what the British media said, Chinese football fans have been voicing for twenty years… and yet nothing has changed.
The article gives special attention to a set of statistics: the number of young people in China who regularly play football is far lower than in any football powerhouse. China has only 2,740 professionally registered players—Germany has 35,000. When converted into per-million-population figures, China has fewer than 800 registered players, while Germany approaches 8,000—a tenfold difference.
This is like two countries mining for resources: Germany is excavating an entire mountain, while China is digging just one shovel of soil. Football is a pyramid sport—the height of the peak depends not on how sharp the tip is, but on how wide the base is. China’s base width isn’t even competitive in Asia.
The article dedicates significant space to one issue: parents don’t allow their children to play football.
This point aligns with analyses from other foreign media outlets. A study by the University of Alicante in Spain revealed a fundamental difference in perception between Chinese parents and Westerners regarding the relationship between sports and academics. Academic success is mandatory, while sports are optional.
The author of *The Economist* breaks down this logic further. He argues it’s not that Chinese parents lack “support” for football—it’s a matter of family choice.
What does playing football mean? It means after-school time isn’t spent at tutoring classes, but on the field. Weekends aren’t for solving exam problems, but for training. And if pursuing a professional career, one must accept a harsh reality: extremely high dropout rates.
The article cites a statistic: the probability of a Chinese youth player reaching the Chinese Super League is less than 0.5%, whereas in Europe, it’s around 5%. One Shanghai-based youth player’s 10-year investment can reach 800,000 RMB, yet the chance of becoming a star is less than one in a thousand.
What does this mean? If a family has two children—one taking the college entrance exam route, the other the football path—the former has over a 50% chance of entering an undergraduate program, while the latter has less than a 0.5% chance of becoming a professional player. For the vast majority of families, the answer to this choice is obvious.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866850449165323/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.