The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has now designated Dalian City as the host for China’s home matches in the September World Cup Qualifiers, with the matches to be played at the Dalian Suyuwan Soccer Stadium.
After a public solicitation of bids, submission of materials by member associations, comprehensive evaluation, and approval from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the CFA has selected Dalian as the host city for China’s home games in the September qualifiers. The match venue will be the Dalian Suyuwan Soccer Stadium. The following is a summary of the relevant information:
The bidding process for the September home games began on June 14th and received enthusiastic responses from various cities, including Changchun, Chongqing, Dalian, Haikou, Hangzhou, Hohhot, Jinan, Wenzhou, and Xiamen, with a total of nine cities applying. Jinan withdrew its bid for the September home game after initially applying due to stadium-related reasons.
In the selection process, the CFA adhered to the principle of creating the best conditions for the national team, taking into account factors such as travel convenience, climate conditions, and social benefits.
Firstly, the home ground should facilitate the team’s travel, minimizing journey fatigue. The national team plans to return to China the day after their away match against Japan on September 6th to prepare for the home match against Saudi Arabia on September 10th, and they prefer a city directly accessible from Tokyo for this purpose.
Secondly, considering climate conditions, the home venue should support the team’s overall preparation. Given that September temperatures in the south are typically high with high humidity and frequent thunderstorms, the team suggests hosting the game in a northern city with a climate similar to Japan, which would be more suitable for training and competition, and where they can also hold a training camp before traveling to Japan to acclimate to both home and away conditions.
Furthermore, to maximize fan attendance and create a vibrant home atmosphere, the CFA prioritized stadiums with higher spectator capacity when selecting the World Cup Qualifier home venue.
After taking all these factors into account and respecting the national team’s opinions, the CFA has confirmed Dalian as the host city for the September matches of the third round of the 2026 World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
The CFA sincerely appreciates the enthusiasm and efforts of all the bidding cities.
This announcement is made accordingly.
