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Xi Jinping’s dream of China hosting the Fifa World Cup now appears to be further away than ever
- Decision to relinquish 2023 AFC Asian Cup finals caps Chinese football’s spectacular slide from boom to bust in space of 10 years
- China’s ambitions of becoming a major player in the global game now uncertain, just a decade after splash of cash first made waves
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A decade after the splash of Chinese cash first made waves in the global football market, the once racing certainty that China would become a major player in the game looks increasingly like a long-odds gamble.
The decision to relinquish the rights to next year’s Asian Cup finals, which was made by China last weekend citing Covid-19 uncertainties, has left Chinese football facing an uncertain future.
Staging the quadrennial continental championship in nine sparkling new arenas and one rebuilt stadium was supposed to be a stepping stone towards realising President Xi Jinping’s ambition of hosting the World Cup.
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That dream now appears to be further away than ever.
The grinding impact of the global health crisis and China’s pursuit of a zero-Covid strategy, coupled with increasing difficulties within the business sector that bankrolled many of the country’s clubs, has left the game in turmoil.
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