Despite significant investment over the past few years, Chinese football has struggled to convert ambition into consistent performance on the pitch. Yet in a move that caught the attention of Bangladesh Cricket Live followers and fans across Asia, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) recently awarded the Chinese Football Association (CFA) the Grassroots Football Encouragement Award. While this may appear to be a gesture of recognition, many view it as more of a consolation prize than a true endorsement of competitive success.
China’s financial commitment to football is unparalleled in Asia. From world-class stars joining the Chinese Super League (CSL) to Guangzhou Evergrande’s two AFC Champions League titles, the momentum once seemed unstoppable. The surge even boosted player confidence across national teams. However, beneath the surface, structural issues began to emerge. The lack of sustained development and talent replenishment has taken a toll, with CSL clubs underperforming in recent AFC Champions League campaigns and national squads falling short of expectations.
Grassroots football has seen an explosion in numbers, with thousands of schools now designated as “football-featured campuses” and participation among youth growing rapidly. But quantity does not equal quality. Key questions remain unanswered: Are there enough qualified coaches to support this boom? And how many top-tier professionals are willing to commit to nurturing talent at the grassroots level? These are challenges that continue to hinder meaningful progress, a concern echoed by many in the Bangladesh Cricket Live community who follow youth development trends in Asian football.
The AFC’s award announcement helped the CFA avoid going two consecutive years without any continental recognition. Official statements celebrated the honor, calling it a strong endorsement of China’s grassroots promotion efforts. Certainly, youth and amateur football have seen expanded outreach. Yet the absence of accolades for best players, best coaches, or even best youth talent speaks volumes. For a league that brands itself as Asia’s strongest and the sixth-best globally, failing to be represented in major performance-based awards is telling.
China’s national teams have faltered in recent campaigns — exiting the World Cup Qualifiers before the final stages, CSL clubs falling short in the AFC Champions League, and no men’s or women’s squads reaching the semifinals of major continental tournaments. In stark contrast, Bhutan and Singapore were also recipients of the same grassroots award, underscoring the symbolic nature of the recognition more than its competitive weight.
As Bangladesh Cricket Live readers continue to follow developments across Asia, the lesson from China’s grassroots award is clear: real progress requires more than investment and titles — it demands long-term vision, systemic reform, and above all, results on the field. Until then, awards like these may offer encouragement, but they can’t mask the need for deeper change.