The FIFA World Cup has attracted widespread interest among Chinese soccer fans. With China’s national team failing to qualify for the tournament, many fans have turned their support to Japan, the strongest-performing Asian team in this year’s competition.
Their public support for Japan, however, has drawn criticism from authorities and nationalist commentators. On June 21, fans gathered at a sports bar in Shanghai to watch Japan’s World Cup match, with many wearing Japan jerseys, cheering the team’s goals, and posing with Japanese flags after the match. One organizer told AFP that many people in his generation grew up watching the Japanese soccer anime “Captain Tsubasa” and viewed Japan as representing Asian football on the world stage.
The incident prompted an official response. On June 28, the Shanghai Football Association issued a statement emphasizing that while “football has no borders, fans have a motherland,” urging spectators to exercise restraint in their attire, behavior, and cheering at public viewing events to avoid creating a negative social impact. Nationalist commentators also condemned the fans, with one prominent academic accusing them of betraying their country and cooperating with hostile foreign media.
Media affiliated with the Zhejiang Provincial Party Propaganda Department likewise argued that fan support should have “boundaries” and accused some internet users of using Japan’s success to attack Chinese nationalism.
According to Hong Kong’s Ming Pao, the organizer of the Shanghai viewing event was subsequently taken away by police. During Japan’s June 29 match against Brazil, police also warned several Shanghai bars not to allow customers to wear Japan national team jerseys.
Sources:
1. Lianhe Zaobao, July 1, 2026
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/china/story20260701-9292507
2. Central News Agency (Taiwan), July 4, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202607040067.aspx