A top Chinese soccer official has urged FIFA to realize the “dream” of Chinese fans by bringing the World Cup to the nation in 2030 — or even sooner.
Chinese Football Association vice president Zhang Jian said FIFA’s rotation policy probably ruled out a return to Asia in 2026, with Qatar hosting the World Cup in 2022.
Zhang told reporters that “it’s not very easy” for China to hold the World Cup in 2026, but said the final decision was up to world body FIFA.
“Every Chinese football fan has a dream — to host a World Cup in China,” Zhang said in an interview in Goa, India, where an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) extraordinary congress was cut short on Tuesday.
“According to their charter it’s not very easy for us to get 2026... I of course hope it can be here sooner, but FIFA has their charter and we follow their decisions,” Zhang said.
Russia is to host the next World Cup in 2018, before Qatar in 2022, with China, the world’s most populous nation and second-biggest economy, keen to follow soon after.
With Chinese President Xi Jinping eager to host and even win soccer’s biggest tournament, conjecture is centering on when, rather than if, the World Cup will go to China.
Hosting the World Cup looks far more realistic than winning the competition, as China’s sole appearance in 2002 ended without a single point or even a goal.
China are currently ranked 78th, sandwiched between St Kitts and Nevis, and Guatemala, although they remain in the running to reach Russia 2018.
Zhang could be in line for a powerful voice in FIFA, as he is standing for a seat on the body’s new council, which has replaced the scandal-prone executive committee.
The AFC on Tuesday canceled elections to the council in protest at FIFA’s decision to bar a Qatari candidate. A reorganized poll is expected early next year.
Chinese soccer has made huge strides in recent years, owing to the rise of its domestic league, whose lavishly financed clubs are attracting top players and managers.
Chinese Super League clubs have spent just over 400 million euros (US$447 million) on players this year, luring stars like Liverpool’s Alex Teixeira.
Zhang said the Chinese Super League now wanted to reach the level of the top divisions of Europe, which remain the world’s leading competitions.
“We have attracted a lot of players to the Chinese Super League and companies have invested so much money,” he said.
Zhang was also confident that China’s growing legion of foreign players would help the national team, rather than hinder the development of home-grown talent.
“China’s national team is a problem,” Zhang said. “Obviously we haven’t been very good over the past few years, but the Super League is a very important base for the national team and you can notice we’re trying to build our national team better.”
Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke, 29, has died, the NBA team said in a statement on Tuesday, while the family of Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to play in a major US pro sports league, announced the former Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets player had died after a battle with brain cancer. “We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke,” the Grizzlies said in a statement posted on social media. “Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten.” The statement did not provide
Mathys Tel was hero and villain as Tottenham drew 1-1 at home to Leeds United on Monday — a result that leaves their English Premier League future hanging in the balance. The Frenchman broke the deadlock early in the second half to ease the tension at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but then gave away a penalty with a reckless attempted clearance. In the dying minutes, Spurs were grateful to Antonin Kinsky, who produced an astonishing save to deny the visitors a win. Tottenham are now two points clear of 18th-placed West Ham United with just two games left this season. The
FRUSTRATION: Gauff smacked herself on the head with her racket before storming down the tunnel, emerging afterward to have a heated discussion with her coach Elina Svitolina on Saturday won the Italian Open after beating Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2 to claim her third Rome title, while Jannik Sinner set a date with Casper Ruud in the men’s final. Ukraine’s Svitolina had not claimed a WTA 1000 title since her last victory at the Foro Italico eight years ago, but prevailed over the ever-erratic Gauff to claim her 20th tournament triumph. Saturday’s win over Gauff was her third in a row against a player in the top four of the world rankings — including Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina — ahead of the French
‘DONE IT ALL’: LeBron James is now out of contract with the Lakers and would head into the off season as a free agent with uncertainty swirling around his future LeBron James on Monday said he would take time to consider his future after the Los Angeles Lakers were swept out of the NBA playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder in what could turn out to be the final game of his career. James, 41, delivered a typically defiant performance with 24 points and 12 rebounds, but it was not enough to prevent the Lakers from falling 115-110 as the Thunder completed a 4-0 sweep in the Western Conference semi-finals series. The four-time NBA champion is now out of contract with the Lakers and would head into the off season
RSS