Best Odds Center
best odds centre button
Click here!
Sport TV
watch live tv button
Click here!
to watch
Live FootBall
NPFL
Click here!
Live Scores
play watch Live Score button
Click here!

China Turns to Esports After Failing to Qualify for 2026 World Cup

Posted : 22 July 2025

In an unexpected shift of strategy, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) announced plans to create a national esports football team. This move comes in the wake of the country’s recent failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following a disappointing campaign that culminated in a 1-0 loss to Indonesia.

 

That defeat led to the dismissal of head coach Branko Ivankovic last month and sparked widespread frustration among fans of the men's national team, which currently sits 94th in FIFA’s world rankings—behind nations like Luxembourg.

 

Despite the national team’s poor performance on the pitch, China’s esports industry is flourishing. In 2024, it drew an estimated 490 million users and generated an impressive $38.5 billion in revenue. The country also hosted 124 esports competitions that year, underscoring the sector’s rapid growth.

 

 China’s dominance in competitive gaming was evident at the 2023 Asian Games, where its esports delegation secured four gold medals out of a possible five.

 

According to the CFA, the new esports team will participate in competitions sanctioned by FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation, and other international bodies. The announcement has sparked mixed reactions among football fans on Chinese social media. Some supporters are hopeful, pointing to the nation's vast talent pool in gaming and fairer selection processes. "This could actually work," wrote one user on Weibo.

 

Others, however, expressed skepticism. One commenter quipped, "They’ve already failed with real football—now they’re going to ruin esports too." As the CFA ventures into the digital arena, it remains to be seen whether this new direction will restore national pride or deepen the sense of disappointment surrounding Chinese football.

ADD A COMMENT :

Hot Topics

close button
Please fill captcha :