China’s plan to host 2031 Fifa Women’s World Cup hailed by fans – ‘less humiliating than men’s football’

Football fans on Weibo get behind plan to bid for 2031 Fifa Women’s World Cup, saying it will boost participation and support

‘I hope the support of women’s football is no less than support of men’s football,’ says one reply to a post viewed more than 110 million times

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China’s players celebrate after winning the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022. Photo: AP

Published: 12:00pm, 25 Oct 2022Updated: 1:14pm, 25 Oct 2022

Chinese football fans have thrown their support behind ambitious plans announced by the country’s authorities for the women’s game, describing it as a big opportunity to attract funding and support.

The Chinese Women’s Football Reform and Development Programme, to use the plan’s full title, was released on Monday by the Chinese Football Association, the ministries of education and finance and the General Administration of Sport of China.

It set targets for the country’s women’s team to rank among the world’s best and for China to bid to host the Fifa Women’s World Cup in 2031.

Specific goals set by the authorities included reaching the quarter-finals of the 2023 World Cup and the 2024 Olympic Games, the semi-finals at the 2027 World Cup and 2028 Olympics, and finishing in the top three in the respective next editions in 2031 and 2032.

“The women’s football team should seize the opportunity,” one fan posted on Weibo in response to a post that had racked up more than 110 million views. “I hope that the support of women’s football is no less than the support of men’s football.”