Fans fill the Nanjing Olympic Sports Center Stadium on July 5, 2025. Photo: Cui Meng/GT

When over 60,000 sport fans filled the Nanjing Olympic Sports Center Stadium on Saturday night to watch a football match, it wasn't for the domestic top-tier Chinese Super League (CSL) or a major international competition, but a match between Nanjing and Suzhou from the Jiangsu City Football League, a provincial amateur competition.

The record-setting attendance of 60,396 spectators didn't just break the previous benchmark of the amateur league, often referred as "Suchao" by fans and the media, it also set a new record for amateur football in the country. 

Remarkably, the number was less than 800 shy of the 2025 CSL season's highest match attendance, illustrating the unprecedented scale and momentum behind the provincial league. 

What's also surprising was the turnout the following evening in Nanjing's neighboring Zhenjiang, where over 30,000 fans watched the home team's game that currently sits only second-to-last in the 13-team league table.

Multiple match-goers at Suchao told the Global Times that initially when the tournament started in May, only a limited number of people were watching the games in person. But now it takes extreme luck to get a ticket. 

"When Nanjing played their first match at Wutaishan Stadium, I had no idea there was even a game. I was just passing by and decided to go in. There were still plenty of empty seats back then," Nanjing local resident Gu Yue told the Global Times. 

"Now it's almost impossible to get a ticket to see Nanjing play. They sell out in the blink of an eye."

The tickets for Saturday's match were sold out in seconds since being made available online on June 27, local media sources reported. 

The Nanjing team had to switch its home venue from 22,000 capacity Wutaishan Stadium to 61,000 capacity Olympic Sports Center Stadium in June.

What began as a local initiative to integrate football into Jiangsu's regional urban culture has already evolved into a widespread sporting phenomenon with nationwide attention, and even attracted international curiosity.

A football match is held between Nanjing and Suzhou from the Jiangsu City Football League in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province on July 5, 2025. Photo: Cui Meng/GT

Wide reach

In just a few months, Suchao has exceeded expectations in both attendance and atmosphere, as the passion for the league has spilled far beyond Jiangsu's provincial borders. 

During a recent match between Xuzhou and Nantong, flags of cities from neighboring Anhui, Henan and Shandong provinces were spotted in the crowd, a sign of the league's growing appeal. 

In Nanjing, fans from Wuhu, Ma'anshan and Chuzhou, cities just over the provincial border in Anhui, formed organized groups to travel and support the games. 

Even visitors from Shanghai and Zigui in Central China's Hubei Province were seen in the stands during the recent Zhenjiang match against Taizhou.

Some in the sports industry have noted that Suchao is attracting more attention and emotional investment than even higher-level international events. 

"I never would have imagined that the concurrent FIFA Club World Cup would be completely overshadowed in China by this amateur provincial league," a sports industry professional surnamed Wu, who traveled from Beijing to Jiangsu, told the Global Times.

Global notice

While Suchao remains a non-professional competition, its viral reach on Chinese social media has attracted attention far beyond Jiangsu, and far beyond China's borders. 

Several retired international stars including Dutch Marco van Basten, Italian Massimo Ambrosini, and Argentine Diego Milito have expressed interest in participating in Suchao matches on their Chinese-language social media accounts. 

Though the league's regulations prevent them from playing in matches, their potential appearance in promotional events could also further amplify the league's exposure and draw new audiences. 

"These expressions of interest, though symbolic, suggest a growing recognition of Suchao as something more than just an amateur league," Wu said. 

On the field, the Suchao matches are infused with a level of personal connection and emotion that makes the league stand out. 

During the home match between Suqian and Lianyungang on Sunday, Suqian striker Zhang Dong celebrated his goal with a distinctive "triangle gesture popularized by former Liverpool forward Diogo Jota, in tribute to the 28-year-old Portuguese forward who recently died in a car accident.

Nostalgia resurgence 

Much of Suchao's appeal is also rooted in the lingering emotions associated with former Jiangsu FC, the province's top-tier club that won the Chinese Super League title in 2020. 

In a stunning reversal of fortune, Jiangsu FC was disbanded ahead of the 2021 CSL season due to financial difficulties, leaving tens of thousands of fans without a home team to support.

Yet, those fans have found a new outlet in Suchao. At many matches, it has become a tradition for supporters to chant "Jiangsu team" in the 35th minute, a symbolic tribute to the now-defunct former CSL champions. 

The number 35 comes from a famous quote by Zhang Jindong, former chief of Jiangsu FC, who took charge of the club in 2015. At the time he said that the club needs to win the CSL in three years and the Asian Champions League in five years.

"Now that we have such a vibrant football atmosphere, we believe that the Jiangsu team will come back one day," a Jiangsu fan from Nanjing told the Global Times.