According to Soccer Daily, China's national soccer team is set to
World Qualifying Round (WQR)
Priority is given to professional soccer stadiums as home venues in the 18-team tournament, but non-professional stadiums are not without their advantages.The 18-team tournament will be played over five FIFA match days, with two matches played on each day.
national soccer team
The home games are scheduled for September 10 against Saudi Arabia, October 15 against Indonesia, November 19 against Japan, March 25, 2025 against Australia, and June 10 against Bahrain.
In finalizing Dalian and Qingdao as the first two home stadiums, the FA announced the reasons related to the choice of home stadiums. In addition to the basic hardware conditions, three main factors were considered:
The National Football League's itinerary
: Dalian, which is closer to Japan and has direct flights, was chosen to facilitate the team's quick return to the home venue from away games.
climatic conditions
: The northern city was chosen to avoid the high temperatures, high humidity and thunderstorms of the south. the climate in Qingdao in October was similar to that of Adelaide, where the national soccer team had previously played away from home.
Fans' Demand for Match Attendance
: Professional soccer stadiums offer a better spectator experience, with the Dalian Barracuda Bay Professional Soccer Stadium and Qingdao Youth Soccer Stadium having a capacity of 63,000 and 50,000 respectively, which can create a warm home atmosphere.
Currently, cities with more professional soccer stadiums in China include Xi'an, Beijing and Chengdu. Xi'an has not made a bid to host the first two home stadiums, after the national football team had intended to play in Xi'an but failed to do so, resulting in certain losses, so even if the bid is made, it will be more difficult.
Chengdu has put in a bid to host the October home game, but there have been some problems with the national football team playing in Chengdu before and there is a need to learn from experience and provide adequate security. Beijing has made a bid to host individual matches at the National Stadium and Workers' Stadium, which is a popular venue for fans. Chongqing has also made a bid, but its large professional soccer stadium has not yet hosted a major soccer event. Xiamen's venue is a convertible track and field/soccer stadium, with the main stand relatively far away compared to a purely professional soccer stadium.
While professional soccer stadiums have advantages in terms of viewing experience and field conditions, non-professional soccer stadiums are not without their advantages. Cities such as Tianjin and Shenyang have enough home atmosphere and rich experience in hosting tournaments and may be considered as home venues for the 36-team tournament.
Overall, the National Football League will consider venue conditions, climate, fan demand and travel arrangements when choosing a home stadium to ensure that the team is able to play in the best possible environment and provide the fans with the best viewing experience.
