English
Vietnamese
China shifts focus to its esports football team after the Dragon Team’s FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying exit. Check out how they did it.
The Chinese Football Association (CFA) cited the country’s prominence in esports as a factor in boosting its national team.
CHINA SHIFTS FOOTBALL FOCUS AFTER DRAGON TEAM OUSTED BY INDONESIA IN QUALIFIER
China shifts its football focus after the Dragon Team was ousted by Indonesia, 0-1, in a World Cup Asia qualifying match.
Simply put, that loss eliminated any hope for the Chinese footballers to return to the World Cup since 2002.
The Dragon Team has only recorded one World Cup appearance in its history, and they’re currently ranked No.94 in the FIFA world rankings.
So far only 13 teams, including co-hosts United States, Canada, and Mexico, were part of the qualifying teams for World Cup 2026.
As a result, China has been more successful in esports, winning four of five golds at the Asian Games.
Because of this, the Asian powerhouse takes pride in picking from among its 490 million users to represent the country.
WEIBO USERS SLAM CFA FOR FOOTBALL FOCUS TO ESPORTS
However, several Chinese users on Weibo slammed the CFA’s decision fpor prioritizing esports.
Although Dragon Team has been eliminated from World Cup contention, the CFA shouldn’t simply give up.
“Can’t win offline football, so move to online. If you can’t win with your feet, use your hands,” a user said.
“Just don’t let the football association intervene,” another one added.
Nevertheless, a few others backed the CFA’s move, with one saying: “this might actually work.”
FIFA CONFIRMATION OF FIFAE FINALS 2025, 2026 FEATURING ROCKET LEAGUE MAY SPUR CFA
Additionally, a recent confirmation by FIFA to esports by staging its FIFAe finals in 2025 and 2026 featuring Rocket League may have inspired the CFA.
What’s more, football’s top governing body has a strong partnership with the Saudi ESports Foundation (SEF) and has hosted events featuring Rocket League and eFootball.
Not only that, Riyadh has been picked to host the FIFAe Finals 2025 from December 10 to 19.
FIFA’s Director for eFootball and Gaming, Christina Volk, acknowledged positive feedback on the Rocket League, which will feature 12 national teams.
“The fan feedback after last year’s event was incredible and confirmed our vision to provide a home for football esports,” Volk said.
“Hosting the FIFAe Finals through 2026 stands as a testament to our commitment to supporting and delivering world-class esports events,” added SEF Products Executive Director Meshal Alqabbani.
Visit our FIFA World Cup 2026 website for more football news and other updates.
