As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, whispers of record-breaking revenues circulate, yet a significant absence looms over the tournament: China’s national men’s team. Despite the expanded lineup, the team failed to qualify, continuing a century-long struggle to reclaim its former soccer glory from the 1930s.

The possibility of further expanding the tournament to 64 teams by 2030 has been discussed, aiming to capture large markets such as China. However, skepticism persists, as noted by Hong Kong University Professor Xu Gouqi, who humorously points out the team's consistent underperformance has become a safe topic for criticism on Chinese social media.

China's only World Cup appearance was in 2002, where they exited without scoring a single goal. President Xi Jinping, aware of the role sports play in national identity, ambitiously vowed to transform the men’s team into World Cup winners by 2050, aligning this goal with broader aspirations of turning China into a global superpower.

Yet, the road to improvement is fraught with challenges. The team suffered severe defeats in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, including a 7-0 loss to Japan. The absence of Chinese players in Europe's top football leagues further highlights the gap in elite talent. Rowan Simons, a Beijing-based soccer expert, and Xu both underscore the lack of grassroots soccer culture in China. While the fan base is robust, the societal emphasis on academic success over sports stunts widespread youth participation in soccer.

Despite these obstacles, Xu remains optimistic, suggesting that China might adopt strategies similar to those used in the Olympics, where talents like Eileen Gu, a freestyle skier who won medals for China, were scouted globally. Such a method could not only elevate the national team's performance but also revolutionize the broader perception and engagement with soccer in China.

As discussions about the expansion of the World Cup continue, the world watches to see if China can turn its vast potential into success on the football field, potentially fulfilling a FIFA marketer’s dream and igniting unprecedented soccer fervor among its 1.4 billion citizens.