On Reflection | Be patient World Cup fans, China still playing the long game to host tournament
Though it’s only qualified for the event once – in 2002 – Beijing still has its eyes squarely on landing the event later this century, and its plan is subtle yet unrelenting
China’s aspirations are now truly global, reaching heights that were once the preserve of Europe and Latin America. In 2015, President Xi Jinping declared that near the time the country would be achieving its second centenary goal – 2049 – it will also be hosting, and winning, a World Cup. Slogans even appeared across the country celebrating the Xi style of winning.
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Despite all of this, the People’s Republic of China is missing from the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia in a big way: the Chinese national team did not manage to qualify for the 2018 tournament. This is unsurprising. It has only once qualified – in 2002 – and failed to score a single goal.
China is still present at the World Cup, albeit in sponsorship only. Advertisements for Chinese companies border every match, and the Fifa World Cup Bracket Challenge is “presented by Wanda”, a Fortune 500 company chaired by Wang Jianlin, one of the richest men in China. Although Chinese participation in Russia 2018 is limited, the Chinese Football Association (Court of Final Appeal) continues to play an important role in Fifa politics.
Supporters of China pose before the Fifa World Cup 2018 round of 16 soccer match between Belgium and Japan in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. Photo: EPA
On June 13th, the eve of the opening match in Russia, the Fifa Congress assembled for their 68th session. One of the primary items on the agenda included voting on the 2026 Fifa World Cup host with two bids on the ballot: Morocco and the “United” bid.
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Proposed as a North American partnership between the United States, Canada and Mexico, the winning United bid was favoured with a technical score of 4.0/5 published in a Fifa evaluation report. This score largely reflected the existing infrastructure shared between the three countries, with 130 stadiums fitting Fifa regulations.
