China's lavish spending on top soccer players in the last few months might be part of a bigger plan to establish the country as a power in the sport, experts said.
Rivaling the European Leagues
According to Brazilian agent Joseph Lee, the Chinese Super League has now overtaken second-tier European leagues in Portugal and the Netherlands in terms of financial spending, Four Four Two reported.
Lee has overseen some of the recent transfers of players from Brazil to China.
Lee added that China has the potential to become the biggest audience for the sport, thanks to its population.
He noted that even with just 20-30 of the population getting into the sport, it would still be a sizable crowd.
He added that, in comparison, Japan's football scene will have to wait several decades more to establish itself to international prominence.
To achieve that goal, Chinese clubs have gone on a spending spree in an effort to attract top tale3nt from overseas. Some of the most prominent acquisitions include Oscar, Carlos Tevez, John Obi Mikel. Jackson Martinez, Ramirez, and Gervinho.
And it isn't just players, as the country is also giving all the effort to lure renowned coaches. Those who heeded the call include Marcello Lippi, who heads the national team, Luis Felipe Scolari, and Manuel Pellegrini.,
Still a Long Way Ahead
However, China's dream of World Cup domination might still be a bit far off, despite the opportunity opening to it.
The national team has been struggling to secure a seat in the quadrennial event ever since their appearance in 2002. Even during that, the team never managed to win any of its matches.
FIFA announced on Tuesday plans to expand the 32-team championships to 48. While it is seen as an opportunity, many Chinese soccer fans aren't holding their hopes up high. One netizen even joked that FIFA has already done everything to help China to qualify, but to no avail, the Global Times reported.
The country is currently at 82nd place in the world rankings and has only managed to land the eighth place in the Asian Football Confederation, their best standing in the last five years.
China also suffered a 2-0 beating at the hands of Iceland during a friendly match on Tuesday.