Soccer young guns take 'wild route' to glory road

CFA's support role

Haoyan's journey to Barcelona is one example of what grassroots "wild route" development can achieve through private support and individual commitment. But soccer authorities have increasingly sought to build more systematic mechanisms to support overseas development.

In recent years, the Chinese Football Association has introduced policies that share a similar objective: helping more young players gain experience in high-level overseas environments.

For decades, Chinese soccer has struggled with what many call the"12-year-old drop-off" — a stage at which many promising players leave the sport due to academic pressure and uncertain professional prospects.

Earlier generations of Chinese players who went abroad did so largely alone. Players such as Yang Chen and Shao Jiayi relied on personal resilience and limited support networks during early stints in Europe.

Today, however, institutional support is expanding.

In April 2026, the Chinese Football Association launched its Youth Inspiration Program, aimed at players age 15 to 23. The initiative provides financial subsidies, development support, and performance-based incentives for young players competing overseas.

CFA President Song Kai emphasized that talent development depends on exposure to high-level competition. "We want talented players to go abroad, stay abroad, and play abroad," he said.

For many players, the program reduces uncertainty. CFA officials note that financial instability is one of the key barriers preventing young players from pursuing international careers.

China's head coach Shao Jiayi described the initiative as a meaningful shift. "It provides a clearer pathway and tells young players that they are not alone when they go abroad," he said.

At the same time, domestic grassroots soccer continues to expand. In Nanjing, where Meng Xinyi plays, a structured school-to-school soccer pathway now links primary, secondary, and high school education, reducing dropout risks.

Cities such as Chengdu in Sichuan province have also introduced shared coaching centers, integrating retired athletes into school programs and improving coaching quality at the grassroots level.

According to CFA data, the number of registered elite young players has now reached nearly 100,000, with competition participation continuing to rise.

CFA officials have emphasized that multiple development models are welcome. "Professional academies, sports schools, school-based programs, and social organizations all play a role," Song said. "The key is to broaden the talent pool."

Broader horizon

Looking across the evolving landscape, Chinese soccer today is no longer defined by a single pathway.

There is Meng Xinyi, celebrating in Turin; Li Haoyan, training at La Masia; Dong Lu's teams competing in Brazil; and a growing institutional framework supporting youth development at home.

"The real shortage in Chinese soccer is victory," Dong said.

Yet victory, increasingly, is being pursued through multiple routes — some structured, others experimental, and many still evolving.

The question of whether grassroots "wild route" initiatives or institutional systems will ultimately prove more effective may be less important than their coexistence. In a mature ecosystem, different pathways often reinforce rather than exclude each other.

Dong recently suggested that the next major breakthrough in Chinese soccer may emerge around 2034, when a new generation of players — shaped by both domestic reform and international exposure — reaches maturity.

By then, many of today's young players will be entering their prime years, some already embedded in overseas systems.

Whether that future delivers long-awaited progress remains uncertain. But for the young players now crossing borders, scoring penalties, and chasing opportunities far from home, Chinese soccer is already being rewritten — not as a single story, but as a widening field of possibilities.

liyingxue@chinadaily.com.cn