Chapter 955: The Strongest National Team in History

Chapter 955 -1: The Strongest National Team in History

In the 2022 Qatar World Cup, it was dubbed the Twilight of the Gods. Many believed that stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi would retire after the World Cup, but in fact, it was the 2026 Unified World Cup that truly marked the Twilight of the Gods.

After this World Cup, the stars who were thought to retire in the previous edition, but didn’t, will finally meet their twilight.

This Unified World Cup showcased a stranger yet somewhat familiar face—China, which had undergone a major transformation.

The core player of this match was undoubtedly Chen Zhong from Real Madrid. This nine-time Ballon d’Or winner just led Real Madrid to win the Champions League, defeating Manchester City in the “final circle,” proving to everyone he still had fuel left in the tank.

With other Chinese players from European clubs and Chen Zhong’s partnership, and coached by world-renowned Ancelotti, this batch of national team players was dubbed the strongest in history.

When Ancelotti announced he would coach the Chinese national team, even giving up the chance to coach Brazil’s national team, he boldly declared to the media: “I am looking forward to a breakthrough from 0 to 1.”

“With Chen, the Chinese team has the potential to be crowned world champions.”

Ancelotti is known for his strategic acumen, and even without Chen Zhong in the lineup, the Chinese national team maintained impressive fighting strength.

During this period, winning the East Asian Cup and Asian Cup, and achieving an undefeated record in World Cup qualifiers were part of the achievements Ancelotti delivered.

With Asian football rising steadily, amid strong teams like Australia, Russia, South Korea, and Japan, China reigning supreme in Asia is a testament to their strength.

A team cannot solely rely on individual players and coaches.

Under Ancelotti, emerged the “new super platinum generation.”

And Chen Zhong was called the “godfather of the new super platinum generation,” because without him, this generation of players might not have had the chance to engage with football.

Look at what Chen Zhong has accomplished!

In 2014, after reconciling domestically, Chen Zhong was selected for the national team for the first time, leading the squad to breakthroughs in the Asian Cup and East Asian Cup. Although he didn’t lead the team to the World Cup stage the same year, he instilled hope in the domestic audience, altering their perception of the national team.

In October 2015, Chen Zhong spearheaded domestic league reforms, stating at a conference: “Given China’s vast territory and resources, we should adapt to local conditions and establish a league suited to national circumstances.”

Subsequently, Chen Zhong introduced the concepts of the Super League and the China Championship.

Domestically, a Super League and a first division league based on provinces were established, where the top two in the Super League qualify for the China Championship, and the China Championship winner can participate in the Asian Champions League.

Though this measure encountered some issues, it expanded the football-playing population, increased engagement, galvanized the football economy, and addressed high salary concerns.

By 2018, after some accumulation, a batch of young talents emerged domestically—reminiscent of the youth boom previously seen in Japan and South Korea.

China’s vast population, combined with the attention of European club scouts, allowed the China team to rapidly progress through Japan and South Korea’s developmental stages, strengthening the national team’s prowess. Led by Chen Zhong, China entered the World Cup a second time, though an injury limited Chen Zhong’s performance, preventing a deep run, yet breaking the team’s embarrassing record of zero goals on the World Cup stage.

In 2020, the Super League + China Championship model succeeded, significantly boosting the registered player numbers domestically and leading to the emergence of players in the top five leagues.

In 2021, there were over a thousand Chinese expatriate players, with more than 30 playing in the top five leagues.

In 2022, Chen Zhong led the Chinese team to the World Cup stage for the third time. In this so-called Twilight of the Gods World Cup, Chen Zhong led China to a breakthrough, advancing the team to the round of 16.

At that time, the Chinese team was never considered championship favorites.

However, by 2026, four years later, the number of stars within the Chinese team significantly grew.

Just like Chen Zhong, Ding Li also played for Real Madrid, although among the players, he was considered the most inconspicuous due to limited playtime at Real Madrid.

Yet his performance in the finals was noteworthy.

This genius central defender wasn’t a core defender in the strongest national team in history but was a formidable substitute, also developing capabilities as a defensive midfielder, able to bolster the team’s defense when needed.

To Ancelotti, this aspect was critical.

After all, solid defense is what wins championships for teams.

Then there’s the four national soccer prodigies. One, Shi Hai, a full-back from Manchester City, was dubbed the “new Chinese sun.” Shi Hai could play both flanks and sometimes midfield, standing at 182CM and regarded as the anchor of the defense.

During the Manchester City and Real Madrid finals, many anticipated a Chinese derby, but due to injury, Shi Hai couldn’t play, regrettably missing the opportunity.