China's top football body to form esports team after World Cup flop
The CFA last month sacked national coach Branko Ivankovic after a 1-0 defeat to Indonesia, a result that effectively dashed China's hopes of qualifying for the World Cup.
But while China languish at 94th in FIFA's world rankings, two places below tiny Luxembourg to the dismay of their vast fanbase, the country's esports sector is booming.
In 2024, the industry boasted approximately 490 million users, generated $38.5 billion in annual revenue and hosted 124 esports competitions.
At the 2023 Asian Games, China's esports team secured four out of five gold medals.
The CFA's foray into esports sparked mixed reactions among Chinese football fans.
"I think this might actually work," one Weibo user said.
"We have quite a considerable esports player base in our country, and the talent selection is relatively fair," he said.
Others were less optimistic.
© 2025 AFP
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