FIFA Secretary General Visits China, Hopes World Cup Ignites Passion in China
FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström has arrived in China to negotiate with state broadcaster CCTV regarding the stalled broadcasting rights for the World Cup in mainland China. FIFA plans to significantly reduce the asking price and aims for a package deal covering both the 2026 and 2030 World Cups.
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- 📰 Published: May 13, 2026 at 17:12
- 🔍 Collected: May 13, 2026 at 17:32 (20 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 14, 2026 at 02:47 (9h 15m after Collected)
Central News
(Central News Agency, Taipei, May 13) With the price of broadcasting rights for the World Cup in mainland China at a stalemate, FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström led a delegation to China yesterday, expecting to negotiate with Chinese state broadcaster CCTV and significantly lower the quoted price. He stated his firm belief that the World Cup will ignite passion for football in China.
Xinhua News Agency reported that the FIFA delegation visited the National Football Youth Training Center in China on May 12.
Grafström stated in an interview in Beijing that the U17 World Cup is now held annually, which is a great incentive for children, giving them the opportunity to compete in the World Cup every year. “We hope the Chinese team can participate, both men’s and women’s. We will also work closely with the Chinese Football Association to jointly promote the development of Chinese football, which is the main purpose of our visit.”
The report mentioned that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In addition to affirming the preparations for the event, Grafström expressed his anticipation for the expanded World Cup (from 32 teams to 48 teams).
Grafström said: “We are very much looking forward to this event in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The matches will be spectacular, and the football atmosphere will be very intense. I firmly believe it will ignite football passion globally, and of course, in China.”
With less than a month until the World Cup opening, FIFA has yet to finalize a broadcasting agreement for mainland China with CCTV.
The English-language South China Morning Post reported on May 10 that FIFA officials, including Grafström and Director of Media Rights Jean-Christophe Petit, were flying to China to persuade CCTV to purchase the television broadcasting rights for this year’s World Cup in mainland China, proposing to lower the asking price by more than 50%.
FIFA initially asked for US$300 million, which has now been reduced to between US$120 million and US$150 million, but this is still far higher than the US$80 million CCTV previously indicated it was willing to pay.
The report stated that both parties are optimistic about reaching an agreement and expect to announce the results by the end of this month. FIFA is willing to make “significant concessions” for this World Cup. Although there were reports that CCTV was willing to offer more than its stated amount, the focus of the negotiations remains on a package deal for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups.
The 2030 FIFA World Cup will be hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, but the first three matches, under the name “Centenary World Cup,” will be held in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay. (Editors: Yang Shen-ju / Chiu Kuo-chiang) 1150513
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(Central News Agency, Taipei, May 13) With the price of broadcasting rights for the World Cup in mainland China at a stalemate, FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström led a delegation to China yesterday, expecting to negotiate with Chinese state broadcaster CCTV and significantly lower the quoted price. He stated his firm belief that the World Cup will ignite passion for football in China.
Xinhua News Agency reported that the FIFA delegation visited the National Football Youth Training Center in China on May 12.
Grafström stated in an interview in Beijing that the U17 World Cup is now held annually, which is a great incentive for children, giving them the opportunity to compete in the World Cup every year. “We hope the Chinese team can participate, both men’s and women’s. We will also work closely with the Chinese Football Association to jointly promote the development of Chinese football, which is the main purpose of our visit.”
The report mentioned that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In addition to affirming the preparations for the event, Grafström expressed his anticipation for the expanded World Cup (from 32 teams to 48 teams).
Grafström said: “We are very much looking forward to this event in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The matches will be spectacular, and the football atmosphere will be very intense. I firmly believe it will ignite football passion globally, and of course, in China.”
With less than a month until the World Cup opening, FIFA has yet to finalize a broadcasting agreement for mainland China with CCTV.
The English-language South China Morning Post reported on May 10 that FIFA officials, including Grafström and Director of Media Rights Jean-Christophe Petit, were flying to China to persuade CCTV to purchase the television broadcasting rights for this year’s World Cup in mainland China, proposing to lower the asking price by more than 50%.
FIFA initially asked for US$300 million, which has now been reduced to between US$120 million and US$150 million, but this is still far higher than the US$80 million CCTV previously indicated it was willing to pay.
The report stated that both parties are optimistic about reaching an agreement and expect to announce the results by the end of this month. FIFA is willing to make “significant concessions” for this World Cup. Although there were reports that CCTV was willing to offer more than its stated amount, the focus of the negotiations remains on a package deal for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups.
The 2030 FIFA World Cup will be hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, but the first three matches, under the name “Centenary World Cup,” will be held in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay. (Editors: Yang Shen-ju / Chiu Kuo-chiang) 1150513
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you provide is a force for protecting press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency's "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and audio-visual content on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.