President Xi Jinping told Fifa boss Gianni Infantino he hoped China could host a World Cup “in the future”, the world soccer governing body said on Wednesday, after the two met in Beijing.
Xi, an avid soccer fan, has launched an ambitious drive to improve Chinese football from the ground up and spoken of his wish for the country to qualify for another World Cup, host the tournament and eventually win it.
China has invested heavily in the sport in recent years, boosting its domestic league by signing a number of high-profile, international players and coaches.
China’s President Xi Jinping has made it clear he wants his country to host, and win, a Fifa World Cup. Photo: AFP
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In a statement released late on Wednesday, Fifa said Xi and president Infantino’s meeting centred on soccer’s popularity in China and the government’s commitment to improving access to the game.
“In addition, the Chinese President expressed his hope, and the dream of many Chinese people, that the country would have the opportunity to host a Fifa men’s World Cup at some stage in the future,” it said.
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Chinese state media outlets, which are tightly controlled by the government and especially so when reporting the official activities of senior Communist Party leaders, did not report Xi’s World Cup comment.
