ENLARGE Team China listened to the national anthem ahead of a 2018 World Cup Qualifying match in Shenyang, China, last year. The “Hebei Province’s Soccer Medium-to-Long Term Development Plan (2016-2050)” unveiled Thursday sets out plans for 1,000 “soccer campuses,” 3,000 amateur leagues and at least one club in the Chinese Super League, the country’s highest tier of professional soccer. “By 2050, we must contribute to China’s bid to host the World Cup,” the Hebei Provincial Sports Bureau said. In its quest to become a leading purveyor of football talent, Hebei already faces some domestic competition. Back-to-back losses last fall all but derailed China’s dream of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.

Source: Wall Street Journal February 17, 2017 02:03 UTC