China's still hitting goals at the World Cup

Everyone is there from China, except for its soccer team. As the 2026 FIFA World Cup enters the knockout phase, China's involvement with soccer's global showpiece is gaining momentum as well, underlined by fervent fan following, sponsorship investment, tech and infrastructure support, and engagement in many other areas.

Of course, Team China's disappointing sixth straight failure to qualify for the FIFA flagship event has taken some of the fun away, but the country's soccer diehards, who've been used to enjoying the show as onlookers anyway, are making their cheers heard and presence felt across the three host nations of the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Despite long journeys between venues, and the eyewatering cost of tickets and accommodation, a vocal contingent of Chinese fans has made its way to almost every heavyweight clash during the group stage of the tournament, sharing once-in-a-lifetime experiences in viral posts on Chinese social media platforms, such as watching their sporting idols score up close, joining "Mexican Wave" celebrations in the stands and making new friends at fan carnivals.

"Team China didn't make it, but we're all here," He Sheng, a soccer fan and social media influencer from Sichuan province, said in a video he posted on Weibo, showing him cheering with a group of compatriots outside the iconic Azteca Stadium in Mexico City before the tournament's June 11 opener.

"The World Cup belongs to fans from all over the world, not only for those coming from the participating nations," he said.

While true, it comes with a huge price.

After missing out on their chances during FIFA's official ticket lottery in January, Gu Xin and his wife, a soccer-loving couple from Shanghai, each had to spend $1,700 — more than twice the original face value of $700 — to secure tickets on a resale platform for Argentina's group match against Austria in Dallas, Texas, on June 22.

"We hesitated for a while due to the super expensive ticket price, but decided to go anyway. You cannot miss (Lionel) Messi's potential World Cup finale," Gu said with pride, knowing that his expensive gamble more than paid for itself when Messi scored twice in that match to make history as the tournament's all-time leading scorer.

Chinese enterprises are also matching the enthusiasm of fans with their high visibility. Tech giant Lenovo, dairy brand Mengniu and home appliances manufacturer Hisense are reaping the rewards of their brand exposure on and off the pitch, having secured official sponsorship at varying tiers in FIFA's commercial system, with a reported total investment of over $500 million.

The new match replay footage from the referee's camera on the pitch, powered by Lenovo's AI technology, is among the broadcasting highlights of the tournament, offering viewers a more immersive experience. Hisense supplies ultra-high-definition displays for every VAR review, while Mengniu, a longstanding World Cup sponsor, sent six Chinese teenagers to act as flagbearers for the opening match, showcasing youth exchanges between China and FIFA.

The Azteca, an iconic host venue of three World Cups, which has, so far, proved a talisman for the home team Mexico, owes a fair share of its magic to Chinese expertise, too. The China Railway Construction Engineering Group played a key role in its structural reinforcement and roof upgrade during a 20-month renovation project ahead of the 2026 tournament.

Back home, during just the first two months of the year, the world renowned manufacturing hub of Yiwu in East China's Zhejiang province shipped over $550 million worth of fan merchandise — from team jerseys and mini replicas of the World Cup trophy, to noisemakers and themed accessories — to the three host nations, according to a report by Economic Daily.

Even without a team competing, China still has its representatives on the turf, not with a ball at their feet, but whistles hanging around their necks.

Chinese referee Ma Ning, flanked by assistant Zhou Fei and dedicated VAR official Fu Ming, made history by becoming the first all-Chinese crew to officiate a World Cup game when they took charge of the Group E encounter between Ecuador and Curacao on June 20.

Ma delivered a solid performance as the match referee in the 0-0 draw at Kansas City Stadium, issuing one yellow card to Ecuador and five to Curacao. He was also involved in the Group I match with Norway and France on June 26 as the fourth official, while Zhou acted as reserve assistant referee.

It represents the most significant World Cup involvement by a Chinese match official in more than two decades.

"Someone had told me that I am too old to make it to the World Cup again after the last edition in Qatar," the 47-year-old Ma, who served only as a fourth official in 2022, told China Central Television before this year's tournament. "I just want to prove them wrong and show the quality of Chinese officials."

He sure did, as well as all the other individuals and groups from China having contributed to the quadrennial celebration of the world's most popular sport.

It's now up to the Chinese team to fill in the last missing piece.

The global governing body stays optimistic.

"There is so much potential to be unlocked across China, and they have such an important role to play within the region and as a FIFA member," Mattias Grafstrom, secretary-general of FIFA, said during a visit to Beijing in May.

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn