How China hopes soccer academies and boardroom deals can help it land the World Cup
Led by president Xi Jinping, an avid fan, China has made it a goal to become a soccer superpower
Wang Shijie, 11, is a rising star among the nearly 3,000 students at Guangzhou Evergrande’s huge soccer academy in south China. He wants to join the national team and help achieve President Xi Jinping’s dream of winning the World Cup.
In schools like this around the country, China is training an army of young players it hopes will help the nation shake off its lowly place in the world’s football ladder: 84th out of 209 countries.
“When I join the national team, I will do my best to help China become World Cup champions,” said Wang during a break in training at the school that has 50 full-size pitches and coaches flown in from European giants Real Madrid.
The tie-up will help Abu Dhabi-owned City tap the fast-growing sports and entertainment market in the world’s most populous nation, and at the same time give China international soccer knowhow, on the field and off.