In 2035, China aspires to become a sports powerhouse, and in 2050, it plans to fully build a modern socialist sports powerhouse. Soccer, as one of the world's most popular sports, plays a pivotal role in the international sports arena.
The progress of Chinese soccer is crucial to realizing the dream of a sports powerhouse. Even though Chinese table tennis excels in many sports, we cannot ignore the importance of soccer. As the world's top sport, soccer has an irreplaceable role in shaping China's image as a sports powerhouse. Only when Chinese soccer achieves a breakthrough in the international arena can we fully demonstrate the strength and international status of Chinese sports.
FIFA data shows that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar attracted the attention of more than 5 billion people, the number of people watching the final is as high as 1.5 billion, and the total number of spectators is 3.4 million, the charm of the World Cup can be seen. The soccer industry has a huge market capitalization, with the global market valued at more than $50 billion, and Deloitte's 2023 Soccer Financial Report points out that revenues from Europe's top five leagues alone are as high as €17.2 billion.
According to Socialiall, as of March 13, 2024, among the 10 most followed people on Instagram, Cairo tops the list with 630 million followers, followed by Lionel Messi with 500 million followers. Soccer is the most popular sport in Brazil, Argentina, England, Spain, Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Uruguay, Japan and South Korea, and is even the "national sport" of many countries.
Chinese soccer has the potential to become the number one national sport, but it has failed to show the charm and fighting power it deserves. Currently, table tennis is the real "top stream" of Chinese sports! So, how can Chinese soccer regain its trust?
The current state of Chinese soccer is not a one-day affair. Although there are differences between table tennis and soccer, the fundamental reason is trust. So, how to win trust? Franklin Covey once proposed a formula for gaining trust that contains four elements: sincerity, motivation, ability and achievement. There are significant differences between Chinese soccer and table tennis in these four areas, and as a result, there are different results.
First of all, treating a sport with sincerity means going all out and not faking. However, Chinese soccer has seen a number of anti-corruption incidents over the past 23 years. 2001 was the year of the "five rats of A-B" incident, in which Gong Jianping was sentenced for bribery and match-fixing, and eventually passed away in prison, becoming the first "black sentry" to go to jail. 2009 saw the first large-scale anti-gambling and anti-blackness storm in Chinese football, with former FA vice-presidents Nan Yong and Yang Yimin both going to jail. In 2009, the first large-scale anti-gambling and anti-blackness storm broke out in Chinese soccer, and the former vice-chairman of the Football Association, Nan Yong, and Yang Yimin were both imprisoned. Golden whistle Lu Jun and many well-known international players were involved in match-fixing incidents, which led to a crisis of confidence among Chinese people in their countrymen.
Second, as a Chinese sport, the highest motivation is to win glory for the country. However, Chinese soccer practitioners have repeatedly encountered unfair competition and corruption, and the lure of money makes one question their motives.
Thirdly, it is vital to prove your ability to excel in your field. However, Chinese soccer players' deficiencies in stoppage time errors and fundamentals have been widely publicized, and the incredible level of skill displayed in some matches has disappointed Chinese fans time and time again.
Finally, prove your worth with your achievements. In this regard, Chinese soccer and table tennis are worlds apart. So far, the Chinese men's soccer team has only made it to the World Cup once, 22 years ago. They have participated in two Olympics, in 1988 and 2008, 16 years ago. The table tennis team, on the other hand, has won many championships in various competitions, earning honor and trust for the country.
The topic of China's men's soccer team entering the top eight in Asia was a hot topic for a while.
"China's men's soccer team advanced to the top eight" ranked second on the 2023 Weibo sports topic hot search list, even surpassing the popularity of Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha, who won the mixed doubles title at the Hangzhou Asian Games, which is a testament to the Chinese people's anticipation for soccer.
For Chinese soccer to regain the trust of the nation and show its status as the world's No. 1 sport, it must comprehensively manage the four core elements of trust and prove its strength with results.
Imagine if the Chinese men's soccer team can score a goal in the World Cup, win a goal in the Olympics, and win the Asian Cup, I believe these small breakthroughs are enough to make the nation feel joyful and inspired! Only when Chinese soccer becomes the number one sport in the world can China realize a real sports power.
The wooden barrel theory tells us that the capacity of water depends on the shortest plank. Table tennis is already on top of the world, and we still need to pay attention to the short boards of Chinese soccer.
