Grassroots soccer captivates fans, bolsters economy

Members of the Yongzhou team celebrate their victory in the 2025 Hunan Football League, popularly known as the " Xiangchao", on Saturday during the award ceremony in Changsha, Hunan province. Yongzhou defeated Changde 1-0 in the final to lift the trophy. GUO LILIANG/FOR CHINA DAILY

The 2025 Hunan Football League, popularly known as the "Xiangchao", concluded on Saturday evening with a nail-biting final at the Helong Sports Center in Changsha, the capital of Hunan province.

In a keenly contested match attended by 43,695 spectators, the Yongzhou team defeated the Changde team 1-0 to lift the trophy, capping off a tournament celebrated for its grassroots sporting spirit and profound impact on the province's economy.

The decisive moment of the final came in the 58th minute, when Yongzhou center-back Gu Wenjie, 24, broke the deadlock with a crucial goal, securing a narrow victory for his team.

Soccer fan Chen Yufeng, 44, recalled the electric atmosphere during the match. "People were enthusiastically cheering for their teams as if they were playing the World Cup. The roar after the goal was deafening," he said.

Since his favorite Changsha team did not make it to the final, Chen said he decided to support Yongzhou. "I witnessed their relentless spirit throughout the league. They kept fighting despite all the odds."

Yongzhou's journey to championship glory began at a venue locals affectionately call the "wild pitch" — the city's crumbling, decades-old stadium.

Although the stadium underwent a two-month renovation drive before the league kicked off to meet the tournament's basic standards, several early matches were played while repair work was still ongoing.

However, the limited facilities did not dampen the passion of Yongzhou's players and fans. Facing restricted seating capacity, local organizers creatively issued "tree tickets" and "brick tickets", endorsing fans' ingenious methods of watching matches from trees and makeshift platforms.

In the quarterfinals two weeks ago, when the Yongzhou team played an away game, more than 30,000 fans packed their home stadium to watch the match via live broadcast. After the team emerged victorious, the fans spilled onto the streets for a citywide celebration.

These scenes, widely shared on social media, drew international attention, with netizens abroad describing the support as "what every team dreams of".

"We have the best fans," said Yongzhou striker Gao Xiang, 19, who received the Best Player of the League title during Saturday's award ceremony.

Gao, who is a student majoring in sports science at Central South University in Changsha, said he and his teammates never thought they would win the tournament when they began their journey. "It is like a dream come true," he added.

An organizer of the event at the sports bureau of Hunan said that one of the driving forces behind the league's immense energy was its vibrant cast of young talent.

The sight of young people sprinting across the pitch was a defining feature of the tournament, with 262 high school students making up nearly 40 percent of all players. During the first 15 rounds, university and high school students netted 132 goals, accounting for more than 50 percent of all goals scored.

"We're thrilled to see these teenagers shine on such a big stage. We will build on this foundation to fuel the development of the sport among young people across the province," the organizer added.

Since its kickoff in September, the "Xiangchao" league transcended the soccer pitch to become a significant economic catalyst.

According to data from the provincial government, the league attracted more than 2.2 million stadium spectators and over 60 million visitors to the host cities, generating more than 12.1 billion yuan ($1.7 billion) in associated consumption revenue across a range of sectors, including tourism, catering, accommodation and entertainment.

Fans watch a livestream of the 2025 " Xiangchao" final on Saturday at the Yongzhou Sports Center in Yongzhou, Hunan province. GUO LEI/XINHUA