How grassroots football connects China and Brazil
GUIYANG (May 18): The experience of playing football in the 'Cun Chao', or Village Super League in China, reminded Achraf Benrabii of his hometown in Brazil.
During the recent May Day holiday, a friendly match between football enthusiasts from Brazil and southwest China's Guizhou Province took place in Rongjiang County, the birthplace of the Village Super League.
'I really enjoyed playing football here. I saw the football spirit, the atmosphere, and felt everyone's love for the game. The Village Super League is truly amazing,' said Benrabii, a member of the Brazilian team born after 2000.
He added that if his friends want to play football, he will definitely invite them to Rongjiang.
On May 2, the stadium was packed with spectators. Players on both sides gave it their all, trading rapid offensive and defensive plays that drew waves of applause and cheers from the crowd.
During halftime, local ethnic minority groups performed traditional songs and dances, adding to the festive atmosphere.
'The Village Super League shares many similarities with Brazil. People here play football, love football, and watch with full interest,' Benrabii said.
The grassroots event has also drawn global attention. In May 2024, former Brazilian football star Kaka visited Cun Chao, coaching players on Rongjiang's women's football team and joining a friendly match with local football fans.
'In Brazil, we grew up playing football – on the beach, with friends, at home. It's part of our culture. And what I saw here is quite the same,' said Kaka.
'For me, it's a great experience to come to China and be an ambassador, to inspire these kids – the young generation – to play football and chase their dreams.'
A player from the Brazil team (left) shoots in the game on May 2, 2025. – Xinhua photo
Football exchanges between China and Brazil are increasing. In November 2024, a youth football team from Rongjiang traveled to Rio de Janeiro, where they watched a Brazilian women's Serie A1 league match and served as ball kids for CR Flamengo.
'I really want to invite Brazilian players to Guizhou and play football with us,' said player Pan Cuicui.
As of April 2025, the Village Super League had attracted more than 1,200 foreign players, some from Brazil and Argentina.
In late March, a delegation of Brazilian scholars and public figures visited Rongjiang. The Brazilian magazine Forum reported that grassroots football in Rongjiang demonstrates that football is more than a sport – it can serve as a vehicle for social change, cultural exchange, and sustainable economic development.
Representative Rosa Amorim said the event 'enhanced local food production and agricultural development,' showing how sports and agriculture can go hand in hand.
The China-Brazil connection extends beyond the pitch. In Wuchuan Gelao and Miao Autonomous County in Guizhou, the football manufacturing industry is thriving.
A worker of Wuchuan Kanghong Sports Products Co Ltd manufactures footballs on Nov 13, 2024. – Xinhua photo
Tian Taiqiang, a 53-year-old villager from Huangyang, Daping Subdistrict, honed his football production skills during nearly 20 years working in Zhejiang Province.
In 2017, inspired by government investment policies and armed with technical and management expertise, he returned home to co-found Wuchuan Kanghong Sports Products Co Ltd.
Today, the company employs more than 300 workers. In 2024, it exported nearly 6 million footballs – two-thirds of them to Brazil – with a production value exceeding 30 million yuan (about US$4.2 million).
Currently, five sporting goods manufacturers operate in the county, primarily producing footballs, basketballs and volleyballs.
Footballs account for 90 per cent of production, with more than 10 million units made annually.
Nearly half are sold to Brazil, generating an annual output value of more than 90 million yuan (about US$12.5 million). – Xinhua brazil China football Xinhua
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