Different from previous tournaments, this time the Chinese national team departed for the World Cup carrying unusually high expectations from fans back home.
The optimism was not unfounded. Last summer, the national youth team shocked the world by winning the FIFA World Youth Championship, earning widespread praise and elevating the reputation of Chinese football on the global stage. That victory had a ripple effect—several of those young talents earned contracts abroad, and after a full season of development in Europe, many had significantly improved their game.
Chen Tao, for instance, has become a key starter for Anderlecht, showcasing composure and vision in midfield well beyond his years.
Feng Xiaoting secured a starting spot in the second half of the season at Feyenoord in the Eredivisie. His performances in central defense were widely regarded as mature and reliable—especially impressive given the league's tactical demands.
Gao Lin, though not a regular starter at AZ Alkmaar, is clearly being groomed by Louis van Gaal for the long term. He frequently features off the bench, and in the penultimate round of the Eredivisie, he came on and scored, confirming his growing value.
Zhou Haibin has demonstrated flashes of promise at Benfica, holding his own in a competitive squad. With a strong preseason, he may cement his place next year. Hao Junmin, meanwhile, has become an important rotation piece at Hamburg, contributing consistently throughout the campaign.
Then there are seasoned figures like Zheng Zhi, now at Mainz, and the Celtic duo Zhao Junzhe and Du Wei, both of whom bring leadership and European experience.
Altogether, the Chinese national team's "foreign legion" now stretches across the Bundesliga, the Eredivisie, the Belgian Pro League, and beyond—an unprecedented level of international presence that signals genuine progress.
But all of that paled in comparison to the excitement surrounding one name: Yang Yang.
In just two years, Yang Yang has gone from rising prospect to global sensation. He's now recognized as one of Europe's most lethal forwards, the most marketable player in Asia, and the undisputed icon of Chinese football. With 50 goals in the Eredivisie and 12 in the UEFA Champions League, he has shattered records and expectations alike.
This World Cup would be Yang Yang's first, and for many fans, it represented a historic opportunity: the first goal, the first point—perhaps even the first win—for China on football's greatest stage.
Few dared dream beyond that. Memories of humiliation at the last tournament were still too fresh. But now, with Arie Haan at the helm and a new generation of talent led by Yang Yang, Chinese supporters finally had something they hadn't felt in a long time.
Hope.
...
It wasn't just the fans who held high hopes for the World Cup in Germany—Arie Haan and the Chinese national team themselves were filled with anticipation.
As early as late April and into early May, the coaching staff took advantage of a league break to conduct a brief but intensive training camp. The purpose was twofold: to assess the physical condition of domestic players and to begin shaping the tactical cohesion of the squad. Only locally based players were called up at this stage, giving the staff a chance to evaluate depth and fitness without the distraction of travel schedules.
By mid-May, the official World Cup squad was announced—and to many, it marked a clear generational shift.
The new list revealed that young blood had begun to take over the national team. Several of the foreign-based youth players who had made names for themselves in Europe were included, but even within the domestic scene, players like Zhao Xuri and Cui Peng were selected—evidence that a new wave had arrived.
Veteran internationals like Sun Jihai, Li Tie, and Shao Jiayi were also retained for experience and leadership, but there was growing concern over Li Tie's form. He hadn't featured in a competitive match for over a year due to lingering injuries, and his inclusion raised eyebrows among supporters and pundits alike.
Still, there was no denying that the Chinese squad had undergone a quiet but profound transformation.
The team's atmosphere had changed. Gone was the air of resigned expectation that had plagued past squads. In its place was something fresher, more spirited. The young players—especially those who had tasted international triumph at the World Youth Championship—carried themselves with greater courage and confidence. They weren't haunted by past failures; they carried the belief that the future could be different.
Of course, the youthful energy came with its own limitations—naivety, inexperience, and the inevitable growing pains of top-level football. But even that was viewed in a positive light.
Domestic fans, for perhaps the first time in years, were united in their support. They knew this World Cup wasn't just about results. It was about development. It was about exposure. It was about learning what it meant to compete on the world stage.
And for a new generation of Chinese footballers, there could be no better proving ground than Germany.
...
Starting from Beijing on May 27, the Chinese national team boarded a direct flight to Europe, heading first to France to face one of the continent's giants in a warm-up match.
Their first opponent? The French national team.
Despite the formidable challenge, China managed to keep the scoreline respectable, ultimately losing 3–2. Yang Yang and Zheng Zhi were on target, giving China two hard-earned goals. But the score only told part of the story.
In truth, the Chinese team looked awkward and disorganized for much of the match—particularly at the back. The defense struggled to contain France's tempo, width, and fluid movement in the final third. That, however, was precisely the point of the fixture.
Arie Haan had arranged this friendly with a clear goal: to use a top-tier opponent to expose the weaknesses in China's defensive structure before they took the pitch in Germany. For a team built on a counter-attacking identity, their rearguard had to be solid. Against France, it wasn't.
Zidane, returning from injury, missed a penalty. But it was the young substitute Franck Ribéry who turned the match on its head. Introduced in the second half, the Marseille winger came alive on the left flank, orchestrating two quickfire goals in the span of minutes. If not for his burst of brilliance, China might well have walked away with a shock 2–1 victory.
After the match, Yang Yang had a brief conversation with Zidane and Thierry Henry. It was then that he met Ribéry and instantly took notice.
'That kid's going to be a star,' he thought. There was something unmistakable about Ribéry's energy and movement—fearless, unpredictable, and surgical in his decision-making.
But the biggest takeaway for China was tactical, not personal. Their vulnerability down the right side had been ruthlessly exposed. Xu Yunlong and Wei Xin were both tested repeatedly and looked out of sorts under pressure.
The response from Arie Haan was swift.
After a candid, private conversation with Sun Jihai, a resolution was reached: the Manchester City veteran would reclaim his role at right back. The tone in camp shifted. This wasn't just an exercise anymore—it was preparation for war.
From France, the team flew straight to Germany for their second friendly, facing off against Côte d'Ivoire.
With Sun Jihai restored to the defense, China showed signs of improvement. Yang Yang assisted the only Chinese goal, but they fell 2–1. Didier Drogba and Yaya Touré dominated in key moments, with Touré's presence in midfield proving particularly disruptive. Drogba's physicality overwhelmed the center-backs, and China simply couldn't match the Ivorians in aerial duels or one-on-one situations.
Two losses from two friendlies.
The headlines back home were predictably harsh. Critics accused the players of lacking form, motivation, or both. There were murmurs about whether China had overestimated the readiness of its youthful core.
But Arie Haan wasn't rattled. Speaking to the media, he urged patience and perspective.
"The purpose of warm-up matches is to discover our problems, not to chase results," he explained. "Losing now means we still have time to fix what's wrong."
Yang Yang echoed the sentiment in an exclusive interview with Titan Sports.
"Yes, losing hurts. But when you look at the teams we faced—France and Côte d'Ivoire—these aren't second-tier sides. They're World Cup contenders. Our focus is on adjusting, not panicking. The atmosphere within our squad is excellent, and everyone is committed."
The third and final friendly was held in Germany, against Costa Rica.
It ended 1–0. Yang Yang didn't find the net, but Chen Tao delivered a brilliant assist for China's only goal. For the first time, the team looked somewhat balanced. Still, one win from three warm-ups was hardly cause for celebration.
But inside the camp, the feeling was more optimistic.
Arie Haan and his staff believed the team had progressed. Most importantly, the defensive shape had stabilized, and the starting XI was beginning to solidify.
If there were no last-minute surprises, Li Leilei would start in goal—having had a standout season in the Super League, with consistent form and commanding presence.
Sun Xiang's injury left the left-back role open. Cao Yang, impressive in league play, stepped in. On the opposite side, Sun Jihai resumed his role. In central defense, the pairing of Feng Xiaoting and Li Weifeng became the bedrock.
Feng, after a strong spell in the Netherlands, particularly during the latter half of the Eredivisie season, had shown notable improvement—especially in his composure on the ball and positional awareness. It was enough for Arie Haan to place considerable trust in the 20-year-old.
Zheng Zhi, versatile and intelligent, was pushed into midfield, allowing him to influence the game more dynamically. Alongside him, Zhao Junzhe brought industry and experience, while Zhou Haibin added a balance of composure and tactical maturity.
Though Zhou had mostly come off the bench for Benfica, his minutes in Portugal's top flight—and even the Champions League—had given him invaluable exposure. The Lisbon club clearly saw potential, and Arie Haan did too.
He saw Zhou Haibin not just as a midfielder for the present, but as a pillar of Chinese football for the next decade.
Up front, Gao Lin replaced Han Peng as Yang Yang's strike partner—a decision that drew mixed reactions initially. But Arie Haan was banking on chemistry. The three-pronged attack of Yang Yang, Gao Lin, and Chen Tao had once powered China's youth team to glory. Now, they would lead the senior team into the biggest stage of all.
In the post-match press conference after the Costa Rica draw, Arie Haan didn't hesitate to show his faith.
"We know our weaknesses, but we also know our strengths," he said. "If we can defend as a unit and stay disciplined, we have the firepower to score. Because—let me say this clearly—if our backline holds... we have Yang Yang."
The room went silent.
He looked straight ahead and concluded:
"And that means we have a chance."
...
...
From the moment Yang Yang returned to China to the national team's final preparations for the World Cup, nearly a month had passed.
During this time, one storm after another swept through the world of football.
The "Calciopoli" scandal—soon dubbed Phone Gate by the international press—erupted with explosive force and rocked Italian football to its core.
Initially brushed off as mere whispers, the accusations rapidly escalated. Within weeks, the Italian Football Association came under immense scrutiny. Investigations revealed that senior figures at top clubs had colluded with officials to influence referee appointments, compromising the integrity of Serie A for years.
The fallout was immediate.
UEFA and FIFA were forced to intervene. Several referees originally selected to officiate at the World Cup were swiftly disqualified. The integrity of officiating worldwide was under question, and Italy—once synonymous with tactical discipline and glory—suddenly became a symbol of corruption.
The damage to Serie A's reputation was catastrophic. The league's global brand, once revered, was now in tatters.
Four of the biggest names in Italian football—Juventus, AC Milan, Lazio, and Fiorentina—were directly implicated. Among them, Juventus took the heaviest hit. As news broke, their publicly traded stock plummeted by over 10% in a single day, forcing a suspension of trading.
Players, fans, and managers around the world looked on in disbelief.
Inside the Italian dressing rooms, uncertainty turned into quiet panic. Rumors spread quickly. Contract releases, transfers, point deductions, even forced relegations—all seemed possible. Many foreign players began contacting agents, desperate to get out of Italy before the situation deteriorated further.
What once seemed impossible now appeared imminent: the collapse of Italian football's domestic order.
As if that weren't enough, Spain had its own spectacle unfolding at the same time—Real Madrid's presidential election.
With Florentino Pérez gone, the power vacuum opened a fierce campaign between Fernando Martín and Ramón Calderón. Both candidates tried to outshine one another by making bold promises—none bigger than the names they threw into their manifestos.
Yang Yang and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Yes, both were rumored to be transfer targets, and each candidate claimed to have the edge in securing one of them. Martín reportedly favored Yang Yang, calling him "the next global icon." Calderón, on the other hand, focused on Cristiano Ronaldo, promising to "bring Portuguese flair to the Bernabéu."
Inevitably, Real Madrid fans were split. Debates filled sports bars and message boards across Spain. Football talk shows featured heated arguments comparing the two prodigies. Who was better suited for Real Madrid? Who had the bigger upside? Who would become the true heir to the Galácticos?
And in a twist of poetic coincidence, Yang Yang and Cristiano Ronaldo were about to meet.
Both China and Portugal were drawn into Group D at the World Cup.
Their group also included Angola and Mexico—two capable sides, but it was the duel between China and Portugal that captured headlines, particularly in Spain. The Chinese media dubbed it "The Clash of Rising Stars." Spanish tabloids called it "The Battle of Bernabéu Futures."
For the Chinese national team, there was a logic behind their pre-tournament friendlies: France, Côte d'Ivoire, and Costa Rica. Each opponent was selected to simulate one of their World Cup group-stage foes—France resembling Portugal in style, Côte d'Ivoire's physicality mirroring Angola, and Costa Rica's tempo echoing Mexico's.
Now, with kickoff days away, the world's spotlight turned toward Group D.
Pundits and fans around the globe salivated at the prospect of Yang Yang vs Cristiano Ronaldo. They were born just over a year apart. Both had risen rapidly in the past two seasons. Both played on the wings. Both dazzled with speed, technique, and goals. And both were tipped to become global superstars.
But many in the football world were skeptical on one point: China's national team simply didn't measure up.
"Even if Yang Yang is marginally better than Ronaldo right now," one Marca columnist wrote, "how much can one man do when the rest of his team is two steps behind?"
Others went further, calling the match-up "cruelly lopsided."
In China, though, hope was still alive. The fans knew their limitations. They didn't expect a deep run, nor did they dream of titles. But a draw, a goal, or even a competitive loss against a top-tier side? That would be enough. That would be historic.
And as for Yang Yang?
He wasn't offended by the comparisons. In fact, he welcomed them.
At home one evening, his phone buzzed. A message lit up the screen—Su Ye, of course.
"These people are ridiculous," she typed. "First they compared you with Messi, now it's Ronaldo. What next? Every time a young player has a good season, they'll bring you into it?"
Yang Yang couldn't help but laugh. He typed back slowly.
"Maybe. But this time, I'll get to see it for myself."
Because while he'd read the headlines, heard the stories, and seen clips of Cristiano Ronaldo, he had never faced him on the pitch.
Now, the stage was set.
Germany. The World Cup. Group D.
Yang Yang vs Cristiano Ronaldo.
And the world was watching.