Suchao Photo: VCG

Several provincial local-city football leagues across China will kick off in April, with the 2026 Jiangsu Football City League set to return this weekend featuring an upgraded schedule and rules, the league's organizers told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

Known as Suchao in China, or the "Su Super League," the Jiangsu grassroots football league in East China's Jiangsu Province is set to begin on Saturday with the opening game between Changzhou and Nantong. A total of 13 cities will take part in the league's regular season, which will feature 78 matches all scheduled for Saturday evenings from April 11 to September 19. The top eight teams from the regular season will advance to the knockout stage, according to organizers.

The Su Super League became a national sensation in 2025 thanks to its local pride and derby drama. Over the course of the season, total stadium attendance exceeded 2.43 million, with an average of more than 28,000 fans per game. Online engagement was even greater, as the matches attracted over 2.2 billion streams.

Football fans can reserve tickets on online platforms from April 6 to April 7. After the reservation period closes, a notary office will conduct a lottery to determine ticket winners, organizers told the Global Times. 

At the 2025 Suchao final between Taizhou and Nantong on November 1, total attendance reached 62,329, setting a record for a domestic amateur football match. Taizhou went on to be crowned champions after a thrilling penalty shootout that same year. 

Suchao's great success has sparked a nationwide surge in football enthusiasm. The flourishing of provincial leagues has undoubtedly injected fresh momentum into the development of Chinese football, Wang Dazhao, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times.

It has diversified viewing options for fans, provided amateur players with more opportunities for real-game experience, and more effectively fostered a football culture while expanding the sport's grassroots base, Wang noted. This year's Suchao has further refined its competition rules in an effort to avoid the controversies that arose in its inaugural season. In 2025, Taizhou's recruitment of several youth players from Chinese professional football club Changchun Yatai sparked a "mercenary" debate, as reported by Shanghai-based media outlet Wenhui Daily reported. 

In response, the organizing committee has introduced stricter eligibility requirements. Players with local household registration must have been employed locally and paid social security contributions for at least one year, or have completed six years of schooling in the area to qualify. The move is designed to strengthen players' regional ties, according to the report. 

Starting from the new season, all Suchao matches will use the official match ball of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Beyond highlighting "full regional participation" and "playing for the city," many leagues this year have introduced mandatory requirements to promote younger squads, giving youth players more opportunities for real match experience.

In Suchao, at least six of the 11 players on the field must be under the age of 22. Meanwhile, in East China's Shandong Province, the city league requires each team to have no fewer than five players under 19, with at least one on the field at all times. In Guangdong, each team must field at least three players under 22 in every game, thepaper.cn reported. 

The Guangdong City Football Super League will run from April to November, featuring 21 cities across South China's Guangdong Province. Meanwhile, a total of 16 city teams will compete in the Shandong Qilu Super League, which is to begin on April 18.

Jia Yixiao, the administrator of the Zhongshan city team in the Guangdong league, told the Global Times on Tuesday that Zhongshan will strive for the finals in the inaugural season.

"The team is made up of students, teachers, firefighters and office workers with an average age of 27. Some of the team members were scouted from lower-level township leagues. The new city league has provided players with a platform for upward development, attracting more football-loving children to step onto the field," Jia noted. 

Additionally, the Hubei Football City League will begin on April 12 and run until November. A total of 17 city and prefecture-level teams from across the province will participate. Tickets for the league are priced at just 9.9 yuan ($1.44), with fans able to enjoy a range of perks, including local dining discounts and tournament merchandise deals.

The local-city leagues are seen as a key lever to stimulate tourism and consumer spending, transforming weekend matches into citywide celebrations.