Song Kai met with AFC Chairman Salman proposed to host a U17 Asian Cup【WEIRUSHUI】

Song Kai, President of the Chinese Football Association, who is leading the Chinese Football Association delegation to attend the 35th Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Congress in Kuala Lumpur, paid a separate visit to AFC President Salman bin Salman and FIFA Secretary General Matthias, who came to Kuala Lumpur to attend the meeting on behalf of FIFA President Gianni Infantino. It is hoped that the Asian Football Confederation and FIFA will give substantial help in the development of youth in Chinese football. It is understood that when President Song Kai paid a visit to Mr. Salman, President of the Asian Football Confederation, President Salman, on behalf of the Asian Football Confederation, fully affirmed and praised President Song Kai for leading the Chinese Football Association to complete the transition and transformation based on the principles of high transparency, higher professionalism and good governance, and began to comprehensively revitalize Chinese football. At the same time, I am grateful to the Chinese Football Association for hosting a series of AFC events since the U20 Asian Cup hosted at the beginning of the year. At the same time, I am deeply impressed by the performance of the Chinese U20 National youth team in the current U20 Asian Cup. The National youth team has entered the top eight for two consecutive times. Next, the Chinese Football Association will host the women's indoor Futsal Asian Cup in Hohhot in May this year.

Salman said: "On behalf of the AFC, I would like to thank the Chinese Football Association for hosting a number of AFC competitions this year. At the same time, we are very confident that these world-class competition platforms will pave the way to further strengthen the landscape of Chinese football in the coming years." China is a very important member of the AFC, Asian football, and the AFC will further strengthen cooperation with the Chinese Football Association to not only create a brighter future for football's prosperity, but also help China realize its aspiration to become a major player in global football."

While expressing gratitude to the AFC for its support, President Song Kai stressed that the Chinese Football Association is willing to further strengthen cooperation with the AFC and hopes to host more youth competitions to further strengthen the foundation of Chinese football. It is revealed that during the talks, President Song Kai still emphasized the youth foundation of Chinese football, and hoped that Salman and the Asian Football Confederation could further help the Chinese Football Association do more to promote the youth football foundation, for example, it is best to let the Chinese Football Association host more male and female youth games under the Asian Football Confederation, in order to host youth games. To further strengthen the foundation of Chinese youth football.

At present, the Asian Football Confederation has basically finalized: Saudi Arabia will continue to host the next three Under-17 Asian Cups, that is, after the end of the 20th Under-17 Asian Cup currently being conducted in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Football Association will continue to host the 21st to 23rd Under-17 Asian Cup from 2026 to 2028. In view of this, President Song Kai put forward this idea: Because Saudi Arabia will continue to host the Asian Champions League Elite League final stage, in January 2026 will host the seventh Under-23 Asian Cup, 2027 from January to February will also host the 19th Asian Cup, can consider 2026 or 2027 a session of the Under-17 Asian Cup arranged in the Chinese Football Association, Because the Chinese Football Association has previously proposed to bid for the three Asian Under-17 Cups from 2026 to 2028, but the AFC still chose Saudi Arabia as the host. Salman said he would seriously consider the suggestion of the Chinese Football Association.

In addition to meeting with Asian Football Confederation President Salman, President Song Kai also paid a separate visit to FIFA Secretary General Matthias during the meeting. Originally, FIFA President Infantino should personally attend the annual congress of the Asian Football Confederation, but due to time conflicts, entrusted FIFA Secretary General Matthias to represent him to Kuala Lumpur to attend the meeting. During the meeting with Matthias, President Song Kai clearly expressed his desire to further strengthen cooperation with FIFA, and hoped that FIFA could take further actions to promote the development of youth football foundation of the Chinese Football Association and give concrete and substantive measures. Matthias said he would pass on the views of President Song Kai and the Chinese Football Association to Infantino, and there would be substantive action soon. It should be said that President Song Kai has been emphasizing the youth foundation of Chinese football during his meetings with Asian Football Confederation President Salman and FIFA Secretary General Matthias, which shows his confidence and determination in China's youth football. Next, it is up to the AFC and FIFA to see if they can really make substantial moves in the development of youth football in China.