Why, exactly, is it so difficult for soccer in this country to compete with sports such as table tennis, badminton, volleyball and tennis?
Media personality Zhao Zhen hit the nail on the head: "Zheng Qinwen saw Li Na win a Grand Slam and vowed to become a professional tennis player. Pan Zhanle declared at the age of 10 that she would surpass Sun Yang in the future. Isn't this the power of sports idols? In most cases, following their idols becomes the last thing they believe in during grueling training, as well as their initial passion for the sport. However, it seems that we have neither remarkable achievements nor dazzling idols in soccer.
Nevertheless, this view is outdated.
When it comes to women's soccer, we've had both brilliant achievements and iconic figures in recent years.
In the 1996 Olympics, China's women's soccer team reached the final for the first time, narrowly defeating the United States to win the gold medal. 2022 Asian Cup, China's women's soccer team defeated Japan and South Korea to win the title. 1986 to 1999, China's women's soccer team won seven consecutive Asian Cup titles.
Isn't such an Asian championship title something to be proud of? Furthermore, in recent years, Wang Shuang has become a role model for almost all girls. As a female soccer star, Wang Shuang is undoubtedly an excellent role model.
In contrast, the situation of our men's soccer team is not as good as it should be. Since the 2002 FIFA World Cup, we have had no success. When it comes to idols, few have been heard of; top Asian players like Yung Chi-Hsing, Lin Qiang, and Fan Zhiyi no longer exist, and players like Zhang Yuning, who is both a powerhouse and an icon, are even rarer. Nowadays, the performance of professional players is mediocre, the level of national team players is average, while off-field negative news is commonplace.
Even though young boys who play soccer can idolize Ronaldo and Messi, they still lack a sense of identity and honor. Can we produce Sun Sung and Lee Kong In like Korea, and three times Kaoru and Kubo Kenyoung like Japan? Can we beat Germany and Spain in the World Cup like Korea and Japan? All this is possible.
If we make it to the 2026 World Cup, I'm sure countless children will fall in love with soccer and take up the game. Countless parents will also support their children to play soccer. The impact and effect will be far greater than table tennis, swimming or even tennis winning gold medals at the Olympics. After all, soccer is the world's number one sport.
