Ha Bao, Empty Nets, and 1.8 Billion Views: Mark Dreyer on Football, China, and the 2026 World Cup

Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. It was a tournament full of drama, upsets, and cultural moments - not least in China, where Xiaohongshu streamed all 104 matches for free and Norwegian striker Erling Haaland generated nearly 1.8 billion views on the platform. China's national team, meanwhile, watched from home. Again. Mark Dreyer has spent nearly two decades trying to explain that paradox.

Mark is the founder of China Sports Insider, author of Sporting Superpower: An Insider's View on China's Quest to Be the Best, and one of the most respected English-language journalists covering sport in China. His recent piece in The Economist on the state of Chinese football went viral, laying out why a country with enormous resources, a football-obsessed president, and 1.4 billion people has qualified for the World Cup exactly once - in 2002 - and shows few signs of returning anytime soon.

In this episode, Mark gives his verdict on the 2026 World Cup - the football, the format, and the final. As a dual English-Canadian citizen, he also has personal stakes in two teams: England, who reached the semi-finals before losing to Argentina and finished third with a thrilling 6-4 win over France, and Canada, who bowed out in the round of 16. He breaks down the state of Chinese football at every level - the national team, the domestic league, and the youth development pipeline - and explains why the problems run much deeper than money or political will can fix.

Mark also digs into how China consumed this World Cup differently: Xiaohongshu's landmark streaming deal, the Haaland phenomenon and what it reveals about how Chinese fans engage with foreign athletes, and whether China will ever host - let alone win - a World Cup of its own.

Discussion Points

· Overall verdict on the 2026 World Cup: the football, the 48-team format, North America as hosts, and Spain's win over Argentina

· England's semi-final run and third-place finish, and Canada's round of 16 exit - Mark's personal take as a dual citizen

· North America as a three-country host and whether England or China could host a future World Cup

· The state of the Chinese men's national team: why investment and political will haven't translated into results

· Youth football in China: structural problems, academic pressure, and what a genuine grassroots culture would require

· The Chinese Super League post-boom-and-bust: where the domestic league stands after the salary caps and corruption investigations

· Xiaohongshu's landmark streaming deal: all 104 matches free of charge, and what it signals about sports broadcasting in China

· The Haaland phenomenon: 1.8 billion Xiaohongshu views, 'Ha Bao,' romance game edits, and what it tells us about Chinese fan culture

· Xi Jinping's three football ambitions - host, qualify, win - and which, if any, are achievable

· The single most important thing that needs to change for Chinese football to genuinely improve