ExplainerWang Shuang: biography, family, Paris Saint-Germain struggles, Wuhan league title win, and China women’s saviour

The 27-year-old midfielder is firing China into the 2023 Fifa World Cup – here’s what you need to know about the former PSG player

From her parents’ traumatising divorce, to language barriers in France, to Covid-19 lockdowns in native Wuhan, Wang has been through the trenches

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Women’s national team player Wang Shuang celebrates after the second leg of their Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Asian qualification playoff match against South Korea in Suzhou, China in April. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 2:15pm, 27 Jan 2022Updated: 12:05pm, 28 Jan 2022

A once-in-a-generation talent for the China women’s national football team, Wang Shuang has become a household name after several game-defining performances against Asian counterparts.

At just 27, the left-footed midfield maestro was called upon to provide vital goals for their Olympic qualification last April – and she did so in stunning fashion, sparing blushes against a surging South Korea almost single-handed, before being engulfed by tearful teammates.

Upon China’s competitive return at the AFC Asian Cup in January after nine months, Wang scored four goals in two group matches to help seal a place in the knockout rounds. Reaching the semi-finals would guarantee a place at the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

“I don’t think I’ve reached the peak of my career yet,” she declared after scoring twice on her birthday in a 7-0 trouncing of Iran. “I’ve been doing well but I need to improve through more hard work. I think I will reach a better level in the years to come.”

From dealing with the traumas of her parents’ divorce, to her historic move to French giants Paris Saint-Germain, to training in isolation for her native Wuhan during the coronavirus pandemic, here’s what you need to know about the woman tasked with leading the line for the Steel Roses.

Wang Shuang (Centre) of China celebrates with teammates in a group game against Iran at the 2022 AFC Asian Cup at the Football Arena Mumbai in India. Photo: Xinhua

Biography