Good things come in pairs! The opening ceremonies of both China League One and China League Two are set to take place in Guangzhou.

Reporter Wang Wei reports On March 14th and March 21st, two consecutive Saturdays, the opening ceremonies and inaugural matches of the 2026 season for China League One and China League Two will be held in Guangzhou. Guangzhou Leopard (China League One) and Guangdong Mingtu (China League Two) will host the events at their respective home stadiums. It is foreseeable that Guangzhou football will experience a surge of excitement in 2026.

The Chinese Football Association League (CFL) first confirmed the host city and club for the China League One opening ceremony and inaugural match, assigning this major event to Guangzhou Leopard. According to the plan, the new season's China League One opening ceremony will be held at Yuexiushan Stadium at 7:00 PM on March 14th, followed by the inaugural match where the revitalized Guangzhou Leopard will face Ningbo.

It is reported that the China League One opening ceremony will last approximately half an hour. Guangzhou Leopard Club has arranged cultural performances featuring local Guangdong characteristics. Subsequently, relevant officials from the CFL will declare the 2026 China League One season open.

For the 2026 season, Guangzhou Leopard's goal is a full push for promotion to the Chinese Super League. The team has signed foreign players including center forward Tudoret and Guinean national team winger Kamara, while retaining Brazilian midfielder Nikon. Domestic signings include Gao Huaze, Liao Junjian, Liu Bin, Chen Junxu, Wang Jingbin, Liu Langzhou, Xiao Kun, Wang Junjie, among others, enhancing the team's overall strength.

At 3:00 PM on March 8th, Guangzhou Leopard will hold a fan open day at the auxiliary field of Tianhe Sports Center, where the players and coaching staff will make a full appearance. Players and coaches will interact with fans on that occasion.

Good things come in pairs. Guangdong Mingtu, which will have its home stadium at Guangdong Provincial People's Stadium for the 2026 season, also has ambitious plans for the new season. They will host the China League Two opening ceremony—at 4:00 PM on March 21st, the ceremony will be held at Guangdong Provincial People's Stadium, the venue for football matches during last year's 15th National Games.

It is understood that the China League Two opening ceremony will last 20 minutes. On that occasion, performances showcasing local Guangdong cultural characteristics will take place at the provincial stadium, including a lion dance and martial arts performance titled "Lion Leaping on the Green, Martial Arts in Full Splendor" and a cheerleading performance called "Cantonese Colors Soaring, Vitality Blooming." Subsequently, relevant officials from the CFL will declare the 2026 China League Two season open.

In addition to setting their home at the historic millennium-old Dongjiaochang—Guangdong Provincial People's Stadium, which carries rich Guangdong football history and culture, the club recently appointed former national team player Gao Lin, who played for Guangzhou professional football for ten years, as the club's general manager. They have made significant efforts to enhance team strength, market operations, and fan attraction. Furthermore, Guangdong Mingtu has officially obtained the hosting rights for the 2026 China League Two opening ceremony. At 4:00 PM on March 21st, this season's China League Two opening ceremony will commence at Guangdong Provincial People's Stadium, the venue for football matches during last year's 15th National Games.

Prior to the China League Two opening, Guangdong Mingtu will also hold a fan meet-and-greet event, inviting more fans to enter the stadium and cheer for the team.

With the opening ceremonies of China League One and China League Two taking place successively in Guangzhou, Guangzhou football is experiencing a surge of excitement this spring. This will be a good start both for Guangzhou Leopard, which is fully committed to promotion this season, and for Guangdong Mingtu, which is rooted in Guangzhou's football youth training.

This year, professional sports events in Guangzhou will be even more exciting. Nearly a hundred professional events, including China League One, China League Two football leagues, and CBA games, will be held in Guangzhou. This holds significant promotional value for Guangzhou's efforts to boost sports consumption and the event economy. At the press briefing on Guangzhou's 2026 sports events and activities held by the Guangzhou Municipal Sports Bureau on February 28th, relevant officials stated that in the first year of the "15th Five-Year Plan," Guangzhou will closely follow the deployment requirements of the provincial and municipal high-quality development conferences, go full steam ahead, and plans to host over 800 events and activities throughout the year. Therefore, 2026 will be a special year for both Guangzhou football and Guangzhou sports as a whole.