Hangzhou beats competition to hold FIFA World Cup qualifier

2025-03-25 10:41:13 source: www.ehangzhou.gov.cn


The Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium – nicknamed the Big Lotus for its shape resembling a lotus flower. [Photo/WeChat account: hzsports]


With 11 cities battling for the honor, the Olympic Sports Center Stadium in Hangzhou – capital of East China's Zhejiang province – recently emerged victorious as the soccer venue chosen to hold China's upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifier on March 25.


The selection process was highly competitive, with cities like Shenzhen – the economic hub in South China's Guangdong province, which hosted the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers – among those in contention. Others in frame included Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, known for its strong soccer culture.


Wu Wenbing, an official from Hangzhou's Binjiang district, where the stadium is located, highlighted the venue's key advantages.


"With 80,800 fixed seats, it is China's second-largest stadium after the Bird's Nest in Beijing," Wu said. "It hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, proving its world-class capabilities," the official proudly added.


The enthusiasm of soccer fans was evident. Within 15 minutes of ticket sales opening on March 7, some 67,000 tickets were sold out, setting a domestic record for the speed of the ticket sales and attendance.


Binjiang district has fostered a strong soccer culture – developing a 15-minute football lifestyle zone with 102 soccer fields, including 54 on school campuses. With 1.85 soccer fields per 10,000 residents, Binjiang leads in football infrastructure in both Hangzhou and Zhejiang province.


The district has also invested heavily in youth soccer training – with 68 professional coaches, including foreign experts like Vladimir Andric from Serbia, who now teaches at Danfeng Experimental Primary School.


"Sharing my experience with young players is incredibly rewarding," Andric said. With over 1,000 teachers trained in soccer education, Binjiang's campus soccer ecosystem continues to nurture some of China's rising future stars.


People watch a match held in Hangzhou. [Photo/WeChat account: hzsports]


Editor: Cheng Dengyu


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The Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium – nicknamed the Big Lotus for its shape resembling a lotus flower. [Photo/WeChat account: hzsports]


With 11 cities battling for the honor, the Olympic Sports Center Stadium in Hangzhou – capital of East China's Zhejiang province – recently emerged victorious as the soccer venue chosen to hold China's upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifier on March 25.


The selection process was highly competitive, with cities like Shenzhen – the economic hub in South China's Guangdong province, which hosted the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers – among those in contention. Others in frame included Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, known for its strong soccer culture.


Wu Wenbing, an official from Hangzhou's Binjiang district, where the stadium is located, highlighted the venue's key advantages.


"With 80,800 fixed seats, it is China's second-largest stadium after the Bird's Nest in Beijing," Wu said. "It hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, proving its world-class capabilities," the official proudly added.


The enthusiasm of soccer fans was evident. Within 15 minutes of ticket sales opening on March 7, some 67,000 tickets were sold out, setting a domestic record for the speed of the ticket sales and attendance.


Binjiang district has fostered a strong soccer culture – developing a 15-minute football lifestyle zone with 102 soccer fields, including 54 on school campuses. With 1.85 soccer fields per 10,000 residents, Binjiang leads in football infrastructure in both Hangzhou and Zhejiang province.


The district has also invested heavily in youth soccer training – with 68 professional coaches, including foreign experts like Vladimir Andric from Serbia, who now teaches at Danfeng Experimental Primary School.


"Sharing my experience with young players is incredibly rewarding," Andric said. With over 1,000 teachers trained in soccer education, Binjiang's campus soccer ecosystem continues to nurture some of China's rising future stars.


People watch a match held in Hangzhou. [Photo/WeChat account: hzsports]


Editor: Cheng Dengyu


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