AChinesefootballfanwavestheChinesenationalflaginSamaraArenaonJune17FEIMAOHUAInthepouringrainandbeforeacheeringcrowdofnearly80,000spectatorsgatheredinMoscow鈥檚LuzhnikiStadium.HugoLloris,goalkeeperandCaptainofFranceNationalFootballTeam,liftedtheFIFAWorldCuptrophyonJuly15.Afteranexcitinggame,theRussianWorldCupendedwithadecisivevictoryfor鈥淟esBleus,鈥漷othegreatjoyofFrenchsupportersworldwide.
Sincethe21stWorldCupkickedoffonJune14,theworld鈥檚attentionhasbeenfocusedonthefortunesofthe32participatingteams.China,tothegreatdisappointmentofitsfanswasnotamongthefinalgroup.Nevertheless,thatdoesnotmeanthecountryturneditsbackonthecompetition.AlthoughChinadidn鈥檛fieldanyplayer,itspresencewaseverywheretobeseen,inalmosteveryaspectoftheWorldCup.
HeadedtoRussia
DuetoRussia鈥檚geographicalproximityandthevisa-freepolicyforforeignvisitorswithaFANIDandavalidticket,tensofthousandsofChinesefootballfansheadedtoRussia.
AccordingtostatisticsfromRussia鈥檚MinistryofDigitalDevelopment,CommunicationsandMassMedia,morethan60,000ChinesefansreceivedFANIDstoattendtheWorldCup,puttingtheChinesefannumberssecondonlytotheRussians.
Besidesfootball,manytouristsdecidedtoindulgeinabitofsightseeing.AccordingtoareportbyCtrip,amajoronlinetravelagencyinChina,about100,000ChinesetouriststraveledtoRussiaduringthetournament,generatingmorethan3billionyuan($450million)inrevenues.Atthesametime,travelagencieshaddevelopedmorethan1,300tourismproductstargetingRussianmarketviatheCtripplatformtomeettheboomingdemand.
鈥淚ntermsofairtransportcapacity,therewereabout20directflightseverydayfromChinatoRussiathatcouldcarryabout4,000peopleduringtheWorldCupperiod.Thisdidnotincludethelargenumberofpassengersgoingtherebytransfer.ChinesefansandtouriststhusbecameoneofthemainforeigncontingentsatRussia鈥檚WorldCup,鈥漵aidXiaoYinyuan,headoftheInternationalTourismDepartmentatCtrip.
InordertobetterwelcomeChinesetourists,asfarbackasApril2017,somesouvenirshopsindowntownMoscowstartedtooffermobilepaymentservicesthroughAlipay[aChinesemobilepaymentplatform].Today,morethan4,000storesinMoscowhaveadoptedthissystem,includinginairports,grocerystores,beautyshops,pharmaciesandconveniencestores.InJuly2017,theMoscowPublicTransitAuthorityalsojoinedthetrend,allowingChinesetouriststopayforbusormetroticketswithAlipay.
AttheSpartakStadiuminMoscow,aboytastesicecreammadebyMengniu,aChinesebrandthatsponsorsRussiaWorldCupYANGLEI
Zabivaka,theofficial2018WorldCupmascot,ismadeinChinaWANGYUGUOPresentthroughsponsorship
Duringthegames,thenamesandslogansofseveralChinesecompanieswereclearlyvisibleonthesidelinesofthefootballpitch.Thesebig,eye-catchingChinesecharacterswereallevidencethatChinawasnotonlyaspectator,butalsoanactiveparticipantinfootball鈥檚premierevent.
Amongthe17officialpartners,sponsorsandnationalsupportersofthe2018WorldCup,sevenwereChinesecompanies,namelyWanda,Hisense,Vivo,Mengniu,Yadea,DikingandLuci.Coveringthreelevelsofsponsorship,thesecompaniessetanewrecordintermsofChinesecompanies鈥檈xposureabroad.
AccordingtostatisticspublishedbyZenith,amarketresearchcompany,intotal,Chinesecompaniesspent$835millioninadvertisingduringthecompetition,morethandoublewhatU.Spaniesspentandmuchmorethanthe$64millionspentbyRussia,thehostcountry.
鈥淢oreandmoreChinesecompanieshavestartedsponsoringworld-classsportsevents.ThisshowsthestrengthofChina鈥檚economicdevelopmentandtheimportanceitattachestosoftpower,鈥漵aidZhaoXianglin,DeputyGeneralManagerofWandaSportsHoldings.
MadeinChina
Throughoutthecompetition,thesign鈥淢adeinChina鈥漺aseverywheretobeseen.
TheWeiguangGroup,basedinDongguaninsouthChina鈥檚GuangdongProvince,onceagainwonthebidtomanufacturemarketingproductsforthe2018WorldCup,afterthatof2010inSouthAfricaand2014inBrazil.
AccordingtoZhouGuo,DeputyGeneralManagerofWeiguang,thecooperationwiththeWorldCuphasallowedthecompanytoupgradeitsdesignandmarketingcapabilities.Italsoshowsthatthebrandismoreandmorerecognizedinternationally,whichhelpsopeningforeignmarkets.
Andthere鈥檚more:Zabivaka,theofficial2018WorldCupmascot,alsohasChineseroots.Hangzhou-basedbrandmanagementcompanyKayfordwascertifiedbyFIFAasthesolecompanyallowedtoproduceandsellWorldCupmascotsoutsideofRussia.Thisisthesecondtimethecompanyhasachievedthisfeat,thefirsttimebeingatthe2014WorldCup.Thecompanyproducesawiderangeofmascot-themedproductswiththehelpof1688,abusiness-to-businesse-commerceplatformofChinesegroupAlibaba,China鈥檚biggestonlinecommercecompany.
Telstar18,thefirstofficialWorldCupballfeaturinganearfieldcommunicationchip,wasmanufacturedbyaChinesecompany-ShuokePlastic&MetalProductionCo.Ltd.,alsobasedinDongguan.Inaddition,WorldCupstadiumswereequippedwithChinese-madeelevators,airconditioners,LEDscreensandsurveillanceequipment.Inthefoodstakes,100,000crayfishfromHubeiProvincewereevenshippedtoRussia,tothedelightofhungryfootballfans.
Inthefuture,China鈥檚presencemaybefeltonthepitchitself.InJanuary2017,theFIFACouncilunanimouslydecidedinfavorofexpandingtheFIFAWorldCuptoa48-teamcompetitionasofthe2026edition.Accordingly,thenumberofteamsforeachcontinentalzoneisalsounderreview.ThereistalkofanincreaseinthenumberofspotsforAfrica(from5to9)andAsia(from4.5to8).ThesechangesareseenasverygoodnewsforChina,andallitsfanswhoarehopingtoseetheirteamintheWorldCupfinals.
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