"12 major schools" gather in Guangzhou Nansha; this July, enjoy the women's football "real kung fu".

Reported by journalist Wang Wei. On the morning of July 19, the Duo Manfen 2026 National Youth Women's Football Elite Tournament and the "Century-old Famous Schools Cup" Women's Football Exchange Tournament, jointly organized by Football newspaper, Information Times, and the Guangzhou Nansha District Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau, grandly opened at the Nansha International Financial Island Football Park. Xie Changjing, Chairman of the Guangdong Football Association; Liu Xiaoxin, President of Football newspaper; Wang Haiming, former head coach of the national women's football team; Peng Xi, Director of the Nansha District Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau; and Wu Jialiang, Deputy Director, attended the opening ceremony. Twelve top women's football teams from middle schools and high schools across the country gathered in Nansha for a six-day green field competition, using this youth football event to strengthen the foundation of women's football training and polish Nansha's international "City of Sports" image.

This tournament is another high-level youth football IP jointly created by Football newspaper, Information Times, and the Nansha Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau, following last year's second "Century-old Famous Schools Cup" high school boys' football tournament. Positioning itself as a national elite exchange platform for youth women's football, the event features 12 top national youth women's football teams, with six teams each in the junior high and senior high categories.

The junior high school group includes the Zhidan U15 Women's Football Team, Nanning No. 17 Middle School, Luzhou Tianli School in Sichuan, Chongqing Banan Middle School, Ganzhou Football Youth Training Center, and Hengyang No. 20 Middle School. The senior high school group consists of Nanjing Football Sports School, Guangzhou Peizheng Middle School, Chongqing Liangjiang Yucai Middle School, Yingde No. 1 Middle School, Nanning Qionglin Senior High School, and Chenzhou No. 2 Middle School. The 12 teams will compete over six days from July 19 to 24, comprehensively testing the training results of youth women's football.

At the opening ceremony, athlete representative Li Tong and referee representative Zhu Yonghao took turns taking the oath, solemnly promising to uphold sports ethics and adhere to fair competition standards. Subsequently, the kick-off ceremony took place, and as the football soared into the air, the national youth women's football elite tournament was officially declared open.

Xie Changjing, Chairman of the Guangdong Football Association, stated that Nansha, with its unique advantage of overlapping three zones, carries the important mission of being a "test field," "open window," and "integration highland" for Chinese football. This tournament, gathering women's football echelons from schools, sports schools, and clubs across the country, is a vivid practice of the national women's football reform development ideas of "popularization in schools, backbone in sports, and social empowerment."

Xie Changjing sent a message to all young women's football players: "Children are the future of the 'Steel Roses' and the hope of Chinese women's football. I hope everyone will fight tenaciously, cooperate in unity, show style and level on the field. Off the field, I also hope you will take more walks and look around in this youthful city of Nansha, experiencing the vibrant vitality of the Greater Bay Area."

Former national women's football team head coach Wang Haiming gave high praise to Nansha's football development environment: "I am very happy to come to beautiful Guangzhou Nansha. The Nansha District government strongly supports sports, and Nansha has the advantage of venues, which will attract many teams to play here. Nansha has introduced the newly crowned European Champions League champion Paris Saint-Germain Academy (Greater Bay Area) youth training and Qu Chuliang's Football Studio. To improve football standards, we need to invite in and go out, which is the only way for football development. This proves that Nansha is already at the forefront of football reform."

Wang Haiming said: "The Nansha District government attaches great importance to the development of women's football. This time, Football newspaper has connected women's football players from all over the country and successfully held this event. I hope the competition will continue every year in the future. In the future, the scale can be expanded, inviting some foreign teams to participate, forming a traditional event. Football can promote local economic development, national fitness, and the development of women's football. Use football events to showcase Nansha's bright football business card. I will continue to support Nansha in doing a good job in women's football."

Liu Xiaoxin, President of Football newspaper, said: "From last year's Century-old Famous Schools Cup high school tournament in Nansha to this year's National Youth Women's Football Elite Tournament, it is a two-way effort between Football newspaper and Nansha. It complements Nansha's strategic plan to build a sports highland and even an international football city. As a professional football newspaper, we will strive to do a good job in every event and provide opportunities for every player. Nansha is using unique speed and strategic vision to make football a very important lever for driving regional economy, which is something we are particularly happy to see."

Liu Xiaoxin said that under such good hardware conditions in Nansha, there will surely be excellent talents emerging in the future. "Chinese Football Association Chairman Song Kai once said, 'Chinese football does not lack the model of cultivating Messi, because Messi is not cultivated; he is rare and not to be sought. What Chinese football lacks is the model of not burying Messi. If a child with such talent appears, we can catch him and not waste him.' I think this is very reasonable. And now we are actually building a system that does not bury Messi," Liu Xiaoxin said.

Coaches and athletes from various places participating in this event believe that this national women's football exchange tournament has built a valuable platform for young players from different regions to compete, learn, and grow.

Yin Youyou, head coach of Nanjing U17 women's football team, said that this tournament has extremely high practical value for the team's preparation for the Jiangsu Provincial Games: "This year is the year of the Jiangsu Provincial Games. After coming to Nansha to participate in this competition, we will participate in the Jiangsu Provincial Games a week later. The format of this Nansha women's football tournament is similar to that of the Jiangsu Provincial Games women's football competition. This competition allows us to adapt to the rhythm of the Provincial Games in advance. We will improve our defense through this competition and hope they perform well on the field."

The first-class hardware facilities of the Nansha Hengli International Financial Island Football Park have become the most frequently mentioned highlight by players from all over. Yu Ruixin, a women's football player from Luzhou Tianli School in Sichuan, exclaimed during an interview: "The field here is too good. Participating in this competition in Nansha has broadened our horizons. I hope to improve my defense through this competition."

Xie Zhongyi, a women's football player from Nanning No. 17 Middle School, said: "Coming to Guangzhou Nansha to participate in this competition has allowed us to meet women's football players from different provinces. I have learned a lot. This competition is particularly meaningful, and everyone is very happy."