Moneyed Football · Full chronicle and history

The Intermediate People's Court of Xianning City, Hubei Province, announced the first-instance verdict in the case of Li Tie. Li Tie was convicted of crimes including accepting bribes and sentenced to 20 years in prison. His status as a non-state personnel has sparked external discussions about the football association system.

The General Office of the State Council issued 50 articles of the Overall Plan for Chinese Football Reform and Development, proposing a combination of the whole-nation system and market mechanisms, and incorporating football development into local government performance evaluations.

When serving as Vice President, Xi Jinping met with South Korean Democratic Party leader Sohn Hak-kyu at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, where he put forward three wishes for China: qualifying for the World Cup, hosting the World Cup, and winning the World Cup.