China's ambitious decade-long, multi-billion-dollar campaign to establish itself as a global football superpower has resulted in a significant failure, with the nation currently ranking 91st in the world, down from 81st when President Xi Jinping launched the initiative in 2015. During the current World Cup qualification stages, the Chinese team suffered a demoralizing 7-0 loss to rival Japan, a performance widely seen as a national humiliation.
The initiative, outlined in "The Overall Chinese Football Reform and Development Programme" in 2015, aimed to leverage the world's most popular sport as a symbol of soft power and a step towards Xi's "China dream" of becoming a truly great power. The plan set targets for infrastructure, coaching, and participation, with an ultimate goal of hosting the World Cup.
Billions of pounds were invested, with Chinese companies urged to support the national effort. This included significant spending on foreign players, with some contracts reportedly worth up to £30 million annually. Marcello Lippi, Italy's World Cup-winning coach, was hired to lead the national men's team for a reported £20 million a year. Chinese clubs also spent approximately £1.27 billion on international transfers between 2011 and 2020, and Chinese investors acquired stakes in several European clubs, including Manchester City, Southampton, and AC Milan.
Despite the massive financial investment and high-profile appointments, the program has been plagued by corruption. Investigations have led to bans for 73 individuals, including former national team head coach Li Tie. At the start of the latest Chinese Super League season, nine of the 16 top-flight teams began with point deductions due to match-fixing, gambling, and corruption allegations. Critics point to a lack of transparency, accountability, and independent oversight within the Chinese Football Association as key factors enabling widespread plunder.
Some analyses suggest broader cultural factors may also contribute to the struggles, including the one-child policy leading to overprotective parenting and a rigid education system that leaves little room for informal sports. Fundamentally, football is described as a bottom-up, creative game that is less responsive to the top-down, bureaucratic approach often favored by the Communist Party.
This failure in football is seen by some as a cautionary tale for China's broader ambitions in global economics and technology. The nation is investing heavily in areas like semiconductor development, but these efforts have also been reportedly hampered by corruption and waste, echoing the issues seen in the football program. For instance, a state-backed chip fund, known as the "Big Fund," has faced accusations of large-scale plunder. Similarly, in basic research, the National Natural Science Foundation of China has flagged numerous violations, including paper trading and plagiarism, which are seen as undermining technological innovation.
The narrative surrounding China's football aspirations also highlights the cult of personality around Xi Jinping, who was portrayed as a football fan and a "man of the people." This approach, heavily reliant on state direction and financial injection, contrasts with the organic, creative nature required for success in football, a sport that thrives on improvisation and freedom.
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The approach taken in football is distinct from China's success in sports like gymnastics, where a top-down system of scouting and rigorous training has yielded medal wins. Football, however, is characterized as an open, free-flowing game that is difficult to manufacture through authoritarian means.
Recent commentary from state media, such as the Global Times, has attempted to shift focus, highlighting China's role in building stadiums for African teams and downplaying the importance of the World Cup itself. The underlying lesson, however, is that creativity and innovation flourish with space for autonomy, a principle seemingly at odds with a leadership prioritizing security and control.