Football League Kicks
In eastern China's sports-loving province, a new chapter in grassroots football is about to begin. The inaugural 城市足球联赛 is set to launch in April 2026, building on the immense success of the province's basketball counterpart, the Zhejiang BA (浙BA). As the countdown begins, cities across Zhejiang have been busy determining their representatives through thrilling local tournaments .

市级预选赛进展
The pathway to the provincial stage has been nothing short of spectacular. As of late March, 9个地市已决出市级冠军, with only Ningbo and Wenzhou yet to complete their selections. The excitement reached a fever pitch on March 21 when Hangzhou crowned its champion, with 2:0战胜富阳队 in front of over 9,000 passionate fans at the Shangcheng Sports Center .
Recent city final results include:
杭州市冠军: Yuhang District team secured the title with a clinical 2-0 victory
金华市冠军: Yiwu team claimed the inaugural "Jinhua Super League" trophy after defeating Jindong 1-0
嘉兴市预选赛: Underway with former national team captain Fan Zhiyi attending the opening ceremony
湖州市筹备: Municipal sports bureau has launched bidding processes for hosting rights
赛事架构与规则
The 足球联赛 follows a carefully designed structure that emphasizes local identity and grassroots participation. The competition draws inspiration from the wildly successful Zhejiang BA model, which last year generated over 10 billion online views and stimulated more than 10 billion yuan in comprehensive consumer spending .
Key tournament specifications include:
参赛队伍: All 11 prefecture-level cities (Hangzhou, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Shaoxing, Huzhou, Jiaxing, Jinhua, Quzhou, Taizhou, Lishui, Zhoushan) competing under city names
赛程安排: April to June 2026, with 62 matches scheduled across the province
球员注册: Each team may register up to 60 players, with 23 permitted per match
参赛资格: Male players aged 16 and above with Chinese nationality (including Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan); must meet residency, household registration, or social insurance requirements in the represented city
专业球员限制
To maintain the grassroots spirit, the league has established clear guidelines regarding professional participation:
现役职业球员: Not permitted to compete
退役职业球员: Classified as "professional athletes" along with college soccer recruits; subject to registration and playing time restrictions per match
本土属性强调: Players must demonstrate genuine connection to the city through ID numbers starting with local codes, household registration, or at least 12 months of continuous social insurance contributions
浙BA经验借鉴
The 浙江省城市足球联赛 represents a strategic expansion of Zhejiang's successful sports economy model. The province's 15th Five-Year Plan explicitly includes both the Zhejiang BA and the City Football League as key development priorities, signaling a long-term commitment to leveraging grassroots sports for economic and cultural growth .
Lessons from the basketball league include:
体育搭台、文旅商农唱戏: Using sports events as platforms to boost tourism, commerce, and agriculture
主客场轮转模式: Matches scheduled on weekends to maximize spectator attendance
全程免费观赛: Group stage matches open to the public free of charge
赛会+消费融合: Integrating sporting events with消费促进 activities, as seen in Hangzhou's "New Consumption" initiatives
明星助阵与关注度
The league has already captured significant public attention. During Hangzhou's championship ceremony, national team rising star 王钰栋 made a special appearance, presenting signed footballs to the city team and offering words of encouragement . The gesture underscored the growing connection between grassroots football and the professional game in China.
各地积极筹备
Across the province, cities have embraced the tournament with distinctive local flavors:
金华市: Launched the "Bayi Tongxin Cup" Super League featuring 10 county-level teams, culminating in a championship match attended by the city mayor
杭州市: Organized 44 matches across 13 districts over two months, with all group stage games free to attend
嘉兴市: Creating the "Jia Crown" league, scheduled to run through early 2026
湖州市: Budgeting nearly 6.55 million yuan for hosting and participation
经济效应展望
Following the blueprint established by the Zhejiang BA, the football league aims to replicate its predecessor's economic magic. The basketball league's inaugural season delivered staggering numbers:
现场观众: Nearly 1.79 million
网络直播观看量: Over 1 billion
全网传播量: Exceeding 30 billion
拉动综合消费: More than 10 billion yuan
With football's status as the world's most popular sport, expectations are high that the 城市足球 will match or exceed these figures, further establishing Zhejiang as a national leader in sports-driven economic development .
全国趋势
Zhejiang is not alone in this endeavor. The city-based provincial football league model is gaining traction nationwide, with Jiangsu, Guangdong, Shandong, Sichuan, Jiangxi, Hunan, and Inner Mongolia all launching similar competitions in 2026. The "Northeast Super League" featuring teams from Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, and Inner Mongolia is also set to kick off in May .
This is living content updated weekly by real football fans across Zhejiang — tracking results, celebrating champions, and counting down to the province's biggest grassroots football spectacle. The beautiful game has found a new home in the cities and towns of Zhejiang.









