BEIJING — For soccer fans like Miko Zhang, China’s failure to qualify for this year’s World Cup is almost beside the point.
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Early on Wednesday, as Argentina sealed a 3-0 victory over Algeria, hundreds of fans gathered on the courtyard lawn of Beijing’s Argentine Embassy to cheer the team on. Some wore the country’s blue-and-white jerseys while lounging on soccer-ball-shaped beanbags, while others relished in an early barbecue lunch featuring Argentine beef.
“I’m used to it! Maybe in 10 years. For now, we have Messi,” Zhang, 34, told NBC News when asked about China’s absence from the tournament.
China has not qualified for the men’s World Cup since 2002, but soccer remains deeply popular in the country, where more than 44 million watched South Korea’s opening game against Czechia last week, according to data from state broadcaster CCTV.
Fans here have found other ways of being part of the tournament, including rallying behind Chinese referee Ma Ning, as well as snapping up plushies and jerseys and cheering for their favorite teams.
Chen Bo, a 49-year-old manager in Shanghai, said it’s the “sheer charm of football as a sport” that it has such a hold on China.
“The game itself is just so captivating that even when you aren’t cheering for your own country, it still draws a massive audience,” he said in a phone interview.
Chen will also be cheering for Argentina, whose Lionel Messi is as much of a star in China as he is back home.
Chinese firms like All Star Partner are capitalizing on that sentiment, having struck a contract with several soccer clubs and national teams to produce branded products, such as bag charms, jersey plushies and keychains.
“There are lots of football fans in China,” the company’s chief executive, Luo Bin, told NBC News at their office in Beijing.
The products include a palm-sized Messi plushie, shaped like a goat and wearing a No. 10 jersey — a homage to the player’s title as the GOAT (“greatest of all time”).
It has quickly become a bestseller, Luo said.
“Even Messi himself loved it,” he said, referring to when, in 2023, Argentina played a friendly match against Australia in Beijing. “We used to think it’s an Asia thing. But then we realized everybody loved them.”
All Star Partner also sells soccer-themed earrings and necklaces, filling a gap for women in the merchandise market, said Luo, who hopes for their products “to be part of everyday life.”
Memorabilia isn’t the only business getting a boost during the tournament: Takeaway orders also see a temporary surge — crawfish and beer being an iconic combo — especially with many matches kicking off late in the night.
“We’ll definitely order some beer, snacks or small dishes, or we might even cook a bit ourselves and watch together,” Chen, the Shanghai-based Argentina fan, said.
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