Gianni Infantino makes no secret of it: world football in general, and FIFA in particular, cannot ignore China. Present last week in Shanghai for the signing of a partnership contract for the 2025 Club World Cup with the Chinese group Hisense, the Italian-Swiss leader told the press agency Xinhua that he hoped to see China play a major role in the development of football on a global scale. "China is full of talent, we need to find them and nurture them so that China can compete at the highest level in men's football, women's football, club football and national team football. I want to work with China to bring it to the top of the world."How? Gianni Infantino mentioned some ideas: sending coaches, instructors and refereeing experts, organising courses. "We will do everything in our power to help the development of Chinese football",he said. Xinhua recalls that FIFA and the Chinese Football Association (CFA) joined forces in 2019 to launch a National Youth Super League (NYSL). The international body also participates in the financing of several club competitions in China, including the CFA Cup.
