China to host University World Cup

China's dream of hosting the FIFA World Cup has received a boost with the news that the country has secured the rights to stage its amateur equivalent.

Under a partnership with the International University Sports Federation (FISU), Jinjiang city in East China's Fujian province will host the biennial University World Cup for four consecutive editions between 2019 and 2025 in an effort to boost participation and business around soccer, it was announced on Friday.

"We are very excited to be part of the football story in China. China has a very realistic ambition to host the FIFA World Cup in the future and hosting the FISU edition is a logical step to realize that," said FISU president Oleg Matytsin.