The ex-soccer chief, Chen Xuyuan, was jailed on Tuesday alongside multiple senior sporting executives, according to state media, following a months-long investigation. Five years later, the Chinese soccer association unveiled a plan to make the country a “world football superpower” by 2050. The Chinese men’s soccer team currently sits third in its FIFA World Cup qualify group, with four points, behind group leader South Korea, and second placed Thailand. Last Thursday, the team drew 2-2 with city-state Singapore, in a major blow to the country’s World Cup 2026 dream. The two sides face off again, on Tuesday, in what is being billed as a crunch match for underperforming China.

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Persons: Chen Xuyuan, Xi, Chen, Yu Hongchen, Li Tie, “, ”, Chen Yongliang, Yu, Dong Zheng Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, league, Chinese Super League, Winter, men’s, soccer, FIFA World, South Locations: Hong Kong, Chinese, Hubei, Huangshi, China, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore