China unveils ambitious plan to boost popularity of soccer

World Today

The Chinese government has introduced its ambitious blueprint to boost the sport of soccer in the country, with the broader objective of becoming a “world soccer superpower” by 2050.

CCTV’s Yang Zhao reports about the plan and the challenges that need to be overcome.

China’s soccer league is the sixth most expensive league in the world. Last October, the broadcasting rights for the next five years of CSL were sold for $1.3 billion.

During the latest winter transfer window, Chinese teams spent $300 million on attracting top foreign players – more than Europe’s top five leagues combined, and making the rich English Premier League step back to No. 2 in terms of international expenditure.

Because of this high level of national enthusiasm for the game, China’s soccer team’s underperformance has been an embarrassment for fans. It currently wallows in 81st place in FIFA world ranking.