People explore a 2026 World Cup-themed event in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province. Photo: IC

While speaking about the World Cup, Beijing-based football fan Li Mengxi took out a key ring featuring Zakumi, the mascot of the 2010 South African tournament. As he recalled the unforgettable moments of that World Cup final, the buzzing sound of vuvuzelas seemed to echo once again in his mind. The tournament, which comes around every four years, had accompanied him through school, work and the milestones of adulthood.

For many Chinese fans born in the 1970s and 1980s, the quadrennial global showpiece was more than a football competition; it was like an alarm clock for life that punctuated the passage of time, bringing sleepless nights, collective excitement and memories that stretched far beyond the pitch.

Another fan, Guo Fei, told the Global Times that the 1998 edition in France was where it all began for her. She noted that the World Cup was like a social event. 

"What made the World Cup different from other football tournaments was that far more people around me were talking about the game, creating a much more festive and vibrant atmosphere," Guo recalled. 

"I still remember staying up late as a child, eating watermelon while watching the matches through the night. Even now, whenever the tournament comes around, it brings back those simple, pure memories of happiness that football gave me," she said. 

Expanding from 32 to 48 teams for the first time, the 2026 World Cup will be held from June 11 to July 19, marking the first time that the tournament will be jointly hosted by three countries - the US, Canada and Mexico.

Shift in the balance

Unlike previous editions, it was less than a month before the kickoff of the tournament when the China Media Group announced in May that it had reached an agreement with world football governing body - FIFA - to broadcast the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the Chinese mainland. 

The protracted negotiations were particularly notable because previously the deal was often reached more than half a year ahead of the opening of the tournament. The Beijing Daily reported earlier that FIFA initially offered CMG broadcasting rights worth between $250 million and $300 million. The amount is much higher than the state broadcaster's budget and reportedly delayed the negotiations. 

According to survey data on Chinese fans' viewing intentions for the 2026 World Cup released by iiMedia Research Institute on May 29, over 80 percent of Chinese fans support the rejection of exorbitantly priced World Cup broadcasting rights. Meanwhile, nearly 80 percent of respondents endorsed the view that "the World Cup needs Chinese viewers more than Chinese viewers need to watch the World Cup."

Zhang Yi, CEO of the institute, told the Global Times that television viewership for the World Cup was exceptionally high in its earlier years. In particular, the group match between China and Brazil at the 2002 South Korea and Japan World Cup attracted very strong ratings, with average viewership reaching around 15 percent. 

That marked the only time that China had qualified for the World Cup, and since then it has failed to reach the finals.

However, ratings have been on a gradual decline since 2010. Over the past decade or so, World Cup broadcasts have generally recorded ratings of between 2.5 percent and 3.5 percent, said Zhang. 

He said that viewership for the upcoming tournament is expected to fall by a further 30 to 50 percent compared with the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

Zhang noted that several factors, including unfavorable kickoff times and the continued absence of the Chinese national team, have dampened interest among Chinese sport fans. 

At the same time, the emergence of grassroots football leagues across many Chinese cities has created football experiences that people can engage with locally, meaning that a World Cup held thousands of miles away is no longer the sole focus of fans' attention as it once was, he said. 

For example, inspired by the huge success of the 2025 Jiangsu Football City League in East China's Jiangsu Province, which turned local matches into a nationwide phenomenon, provinces and regions across the country, such as Hebei, Shandong, Jiangxi, Fujian, Hubei, Hunan and Qinghai, have launched their own tournaments, aiming to create grassroots excitement and boost tourism. 

Viewing habits changed

Moreover, there are simply too many entertainment choices nowadays in China, and it's hard for any one thing to hold the attention of a large audience for long. On top of that, the national team's poor performances over the past years have made many Chinese fans less interested in football. If China were playing in the World Cup this time, the atmosphere would be far more intense and enthusiastic than it is now, said Guo, who was born in the 1980s. 

Li Bole, a junior student at Chongqing Normal University, agrees with Guo. "Football feels somewhat distant to our generation. Growing up, we never really saw the Chinese national team achieve a notable success, so it was difficult for many young people to develop a strong connection with the sport," Li said. 

The Gen Z student also emphasized that their viewing habits have been increasingly shaped by the demands of a fast-paced digital lifestyle and the influence of social media. 

"It's not that our generation doesn't like football. We are still drawn to great matches, legendary players and inspiring stories. What has changed is the way we engage with the sport," Li said. 

"Rather than regularly tuning in to watch full matches, many of us are more likely to come across a spectacular goal or a player's story on social media and then click through to learn more. People today are increasingly accustomed to consuming football in short, digestible snippets. For many, watching a few minutes of highlights has become more appealing than spending 90 minutes following an entire match," he noted.

Every four years, a spectacular goal, an underdog story or a dramatic final still has the power to draw millions back to the game. What has changed is not necessarily people's love for football, but the way they experience it.