China League Two Best Rookie, Chinese Super League Starter, U23 Asian Cup Runner-up... Peng Xiao's Dreamlike Half Year

Reported by Chen Yong The last half year has been unforgettable for Peng Xiao. He established himself as a key player in the Chinese Super League, earned the 2025 China League Two Best Young Player award, and together with the U23 national team, achieved a remarkable feat. During the U23 team's magical qualifying journey, he scored their only goal in the group stage and headed in a goal from a corner in the semifinals, becoming a crucial contributor to their advancement. His role as a formidable defender has drawn significant attention.

In the 2025 summer transfer window, Peng Xiao was promoted from Shandong Taishan's B squad to the A squad, focusing solely on the Chinese Super League and no longer representing the B team in China League Two. He eventually appeared in 11 Super League matches, starting in 9 of them.

Before that, he scored 6 goals in 14 China League Two appearances, making him the team's top scorer at the time: in his last League Two match against Changchun Xidu, he scored twice—once from a penalty and once from a rebound; earlier against Lanzhou Longyuan Athletic, he netted a free kick and a volley from the edge of the box; even earlier versus Hubei Youth Star, he scored directly from a free kick and added a follow-up goal.

Interestingly, the tall Peng Xiao scored all six goals in the 2025 season using his feet, including two stunning direct free kicks and a long-range shot. During the penalty shootout against Uzbekistan in the U23 Asian Cup, he took the second penalty, showing Antonio’s strong confidence in his shooting skills.

Peng Xiao mainly plays as a center-back but originally played as a defensive midfielder in the Taishan youth teams. Coach Zhang Tao brought him from Beijing to the Luneng Football School and assigned him the defensive midfield role, even pushing him forward in trailing situations. Zhang praised him highly; back then, Peng and Chen Zeshi were the two core players of the Taishan 2005 age group team.

In the U23 national team matches, Peng Xiao often delivers long through balls, a skill developed from his midfield days. In fact, when playing for Shandong Taishan B in China League Two, he also played as a defensive midfielder.

For a player, adaptability to multiple positions is crucial. Playing forward, midfield, and center-back has given Peng Xiao comprehensive training and technical skills. After skipping levels to join Antonio’s 2004 national youth team, he played defensive midfield at the club but center-back for the youth national team.

When the U23 national team gathered to prepare for the U23 Asian Cup, Peng Xiao had just recovered from an injury, but Antonio decisively included him. Even at the tournament’s start, he was just regaining match fitness.

For Peng Xiao, the past six months can be divided into four key milestones, each marking a breakthrough:

The first milestone was his debut in the Chinese Super League during the 17th round of the 2025 season. At that time, Peng was still somewhat inexperienced. To protect him, Shandong Taishan used a three-center-back system. During this period, he focused on defense and earned the coaching staff’s trust.

The second milestone was the U23 Asian Cup qualifiers. He was a substitute in the first match, became a starter in the second, and in the final game against Australia, he started as the central defender playing behind two national team players and key starters from Zhejiang and Shanghai Port—Liu Haofan and Wumitijiang. Throughout the tournament, Peng consistently played as the deep-lying center-back.

After returning from the U23 Asian Cup qualifiers to the Super League, Peng Xiao’s performance improved significantly. Before, he had only played a full 90 minutes once in six matches. Afterward, in crucial games against Shanghai Shenhua and Shanghai Port, he played the entire match, transforming from a “Super League rookie” into a reliable center-back.

The final milestone was his outstanding performance in the U23 Asian Cup. Looking ahead, we can expect Peng Xiao’s Super League form to rise again after the tournament. On one hand, he will solidify his position as a starting defender, potentially trying a two-center-back formation; on the other hand, Shandong Taishan’s coaching staff will likely entrust him with more responsibilities in attacking tactics, such as set pieces. In the 2026 season, we might even see him scoring goals in the Super League.

Another expectation is that the national team will surely take notice of this exceptionally talented young center-back. Coaches who have worked with Peng and several agents have expressed strong optimism about his future prospects with the national team.

Talent plus opportunity have perfectly manifested in Peng Xiao, but his success also relies on his hard work. For his teammates—center-back partner Shi Songchen, midfielders Chen Zeshi and Yimulan, and striker Wang Haobin—who all faced injuries in the 2025 season, their start in the Super League may have been delayed. However, as long as they remain determined and keep striving, opportunities will come their way too.