In Dalian, China, the Football Association has taken strict action against corruption in the sport by banning 43 individuals for life due to allegations of match-fixing and various forms of corruption. Xinhua News Agency reported that a two-year investigation led by top police official Zhang Xiaopeng unveiled numerous cases of online gambling, match-fixing, and bribery involving 120 matches in domestic leagues, 128 criminal suspects, and 41 clubs. Out of the banned individuals, 38 were players and five were club officials, including former Chinese internationals Jin Jingdao, Guo Tianyu, and Gu Chao receiving lifetime bans.
In addition to the lifetime bans, other players and officials, including foreign players attracted to China by high salaries, were given shorter bans. South Korean player Son Jun-ho from Shandong Taishan FC and Cameroon’s Ewolo Donovan from Heilongjiang Ice City received five-year bans due to violations of sports ethics and sportsmanship according to the federation’s statement. Despite Chinese President Xi Jinping’s efforts to turn China into a football powerhouse, the men’s national team has struggled to perform well, as seen in their recent 7-0 loss to Japan.
The Chinese men’s team faced Saudi Arabia in their World Cup qualifier following the match-fixing scandal. While China has a chance to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, they might still struggle to advance past the continental qualifying stage. With only one World Cup appearance in 2002, China currently holds the 87th spot in the FIFA world rankings for men’s national teams, ranking just below Curaçao and above Equatorial Guinea in terms of performance.