Youthful Transformation of National Team Officially Launched, Multiple Age-Group Teams Progress Simultaneously

Journalist Chen Yong reports Before the third round of the Chinese Super League, the national team, U23 national team, and U19 national team successively announced their latest training camp rosters. The U16 national team has already flown to France to prepare for the upcoming Montaigu Cup, while the U17 and U15 national teams also conducted training sessions concurrently with the U16 team earlier. Six national-level teams are advancing together, with the youthful transformation of the senior national team being the focal point.

The latest national team roster totals 26 players, with a significant number of 9 being U23 players: Yang Xi, Wu Miti Jiang, Liu Haofan, Hu Hetao, Xu Bin, Kuai Jiwen, Liu Chengyu, Bai Helamu, and Wang Yudong. Another U23 player, Li Hao, is absent due to injury; otherwise, he would likely have been included.

With 9 players selected, U23 players constitute over one-third of the national team, aligning with our previous expectations. Additionally, four are U21 players: Yang Xi, Kuai Jiwen, Liu Chengyu, and Wang Yudong, with the latter three being U20 players.

The youthful transformation of the national team is a predetermined direction, especially after the U23 national team achieved good results in the U23 Asian Cup, making the path towards youthfulness even more resolute. This shift is driven by two main considerations: firstly, the middle-generation players of the national team happen to be from a period of decline in Chinese youth training. As the older players from the 93 and 95 generations gradually fade out, the national team directly targets players from the 03 and 05 generations. Secondly, the spirit and attitude displayed by U23 players in the Asian Cup were encouraging. For the current national team, given the gap in absolute strength, mental fortitude becomes even more crucial.

Theoretically, a national team should undergo youth transformation in an orderly manner. However, the large-scale recruitment of young players by the national team also considers another aspect: to infuse the entire team with a more vibrant and energetic daily atmosphere.

The youthful transformation also has a solid foundation at the coaching level. Shao Jiayi previously served as team leader and coach for the 04 national youth and 03 national youth teams, making him very familiar with this batch of players. Subsequently, he had extensive experience working with the national team. After becoming a professional coach, his successful utilization of young players at Qingdao West Coast in the 2025 season further supports this direction.

U23 players bring vitality to the national team, while veteran players remain indispensable. Their technical skills and match experience play a vital role, especially after a period of consolidation. The current veteran players have undergone tests in numerous significant matches, making them trustworthy in both ability and spirit.

The national team called up 9 U23 players. Including the injured Li Hao, the core lineup of the U23 national team was nearly entirely recruited. Nevertheless, the U23 national team still assembled during this international match window to participate in the Xi'an Four Nations Tournament.

This U23 national team called up 25 players, led naturally by key defenders like Peng Xiao, main midfielder Li Zhenquan, and striker Xiang Yuwang. Meanwhile, a group of younger players from the 05 age group continue to be assessed.

The recent competition task for the U19 national team is the Toulon Cup. During this international match window, after gathering, the U19 team will travel to Yiwu to participate in the Yiwu International Youth Football Invitational, facing Australia's U19 team twice. In this roster, Wei Xiangxin (soon to study abroad), Zhang Jiaming (already abroad), and Xie Chuyun (at Stuttgart) are all included.

The Chinese Football Association also announced updates regarding the U16 national team: On March 19 afternoon, China's U16 national men's football team arrived smoothly in Auxerre, France, officially commencing an overseas training camp from March 19 to 29 (11 days), fully preparing for the Montaigu Cup from March 30 to April 6. During this period, they will play two friendly matches against Grenoble 38 U17 and Auxerre U17. The opponents for the U16 team in the Montaigu Cup are extremely strong: first against France, then against Brazil, constituting a formidable challenge.

Regarding the U17 national team, which will participate in the U17 Asian Cup in May, they began training in Zhaoqing, Guangdong, as early as March 13. The U15 national team started their training in Shanghai on March 15.

Currently, the international match schedules for the four national-level teams are: National Team (Australia) vs. Curaçao on March 27 at 14:00, vs. Cameroon on March 31 at 14:00; U23 National Team (Xi'an) vs. Thailand U23 on March 25, vs. North Korea U23 on March 28, vs. Vietnam U23 on March 31, all at 19:30; U19 National Team (Yiwu) vs. Australia U19 on March 28 at 15:30, and again vs. Australia U19 on March 31 at 19:35; U16 National Team (France) vs. France U16 on April 1 at 00:30, vs. Brazil U16 on April 3 at 00:30, vs. Ivory Coast U16 on April 5 at 00:00.