Thread: China unveils 30-year plan to become football superpower 'by 2050'

China has unveiled a strategy to become a "world football superpower" by 2050, with plans to get 50 million children and adults playing the game by 2020.



Other targets include having at least 20,000 football training centres and 70,000 pitches in place by 2020.

While China excels at the Olympics and Paralympics, it has only ever qualified for one football World Cup, in 2002.

President Xi Jinping is a football enthusiast and previously said he wants China to win the World Cup in 15 years.

The plan was published by the Chinese Football Association (in Chinese) on Monday.

It sets out short, medium and long-term targets, including ensuring there is one football pitch for every 10,000 people by 2030.

The men's football team should become one of the best in Asia, while the female football team should be ranked as a world-class team, by 2030, the plan said.

By 2050, the report added, China should be "a first-class football superpower" that "contributes to the international football world".

China's men's team currently sits 81st in the Fifa world rankings, out of 204 nations, below far smaller nations such as Haiti, Panama and Benin.

The football league has been hit by corruption in recent years, with 33 players and officials banned in 2013 for match-fixing, although efforts have been made to clean up the sport.

China aims to become football superpower 'by 2050' - BBC News

Goodbye England's premier league, chinese follow the money

The Chinese could produce some world class hooligans judging by their buffet etiquette

Can you imagine the betting scandals that will come along with a Chinese football league.

I look forward to Pele predicting their world cup win.

They will eat Paul the Octopus before he predicts their victory.

Originally Posted by VocalNeal

They will eat Paul the Octopus before he predicts their victory.

Considering your excessive level of pedantry, I'm surprised this one got past you Mr. Logic.

Paul the World Cup octopus dies in his tank in Germany - BBC News

Paul the Octopus being a metaphor. More a quip at the Chinese penchant for eating everything,but hey...

The Chins are never going far in world football.

They are scrawny runts who play the dirtiest version of the game known to humankind - nasty tackles, gouging, ribbing, and all the drama - crying, faking etc. Even worse than the South American and European drama queens.

And they'll pull the usual 10 on 1 nonsense when they feel the need.

Feeble bunch.

Originally Posted by VocalNeal

Paul the Octopus being a metaphor. More a quip at the Chinese penchant for eating everything,but hey...

Excuse me, but you can't argue with a pedant. You can only say things like "Fuck off Jeff".

Originally Posted by VocalNeal

They will eat Paul the Octopus before he predicts their victory.

Originally Posted by VocalNeal

Paul the Octopus being a metaphor.

Please could you explain that to me.

We had a few chinks in our Sydney office back during the 2002 WC.

I remarked that by having 1/2 a Billion F'ing players to choose from you'd image they could find 11 good ones. they don't have much of a sense of humour, those chinks.

Originally Posted by Luigi

We had a few chinks in our Sydney office back during the 2002 WC.

I remarked that by having 1/2 a Billion F'ing players to choose from you'd image they could find 11 good ones. they don't have much of a sense of humour, those chinks.

The chinks look to the future, with all those half Chinks being born in Angola and the rest of Africa thanks to millions of Male Chinese construction workers being seduced by locals. China can one day make up a team of players that where not born in China.

Just like the other countries

Originally Posted by wasabi

Originally Posted by Luigi

We had a few chinks in our Sydney office back during the 2002 WC.

I remarked that by having 1/2 a Billion F'ing players to choose from you'd image they could find 11 good ones. they don't have much of a sense of humour, those chinks.

The chinks look to the future, with all those half Chinks being born in Angola and the rest of Africa thanks to millions of Male Chinese construction workers being seduced by locals. China can one day make up a team of players that where not born in China.

Just like the other countries

Or they'll do what other teams have done and buy themselves some foreign players.

The England team don't do that, unlike the cricket team, crickey.