Fortunate circumstances emerged for the Chinese national team, which has been performing poorly with the worst trajectory in its history.
Sohu Dotcom in China reported on the 18th (Korean time) that 'the Chinese national team shocked supporters by revealing a significant number of new sponsorship agreements.'
Sohu reported, "The Chinese national team has received positive news following the East Asian Cup. According to the report, the Chinese national team has secured a major sponsorship deal. BYD has committed a total of $75 million (approximately 100 billion won) over five years to the Chinese national team. Given that the Chinese national team is currently facing financial difficulties, it is challenging to allocate significant funds. It is also known that the company is eager to support Chinese players in their overseas development. 'Chinese prospects are performing well abroad and can help secure additional funding.'"
Then, "Chinese prospect Bang Zhao Lei struggled to keep up with his studies in Spain because of his family's challenges. He intended to join Dalian for a training session. However, now that we have sponsors for international expansion, we can continue playing soccer abroad," he explained.
China secured third place in the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup) in 2025. This outcome was largely anticipated. Given China's present capabilities, it was nearly impossible to compete against South Korea and Japan, the top teams in Asia. There were some hopes, but China confronted reality after losing to both South Korea and Japan. The more significant issue was their performance. China let down its supporters by having a tough time against Hong Kong and delivering a terrible showing against South Korea and Japan.
The dire situation was clear from the records. The Beijing News reported that Zhang Winning's goal was the first for the Chinese national team in the East Asian Cup and the first field goal of 2025. Following the East Asian Cup, the Chinese national team has effectively concluded their major competitions this year," he said. This is the reality that China has only one field goal in seven matches this year. You can see how slow their performance remains.
Nevertheless, in this scenario, a Chinese company has entered into a major sponsorship agreement with the national team, enabling the Chinese Football Association to manage the national team without financial concerns for a period. With plans to support Chinese talents in advancing abroad through an investment of up to 100 billion won, there is growing interest in whether this funding will serve as a pivotal moment that brings about even minor improvements in the Chinese national team.
