Football Association Launches "Inspiration Plan": Million-Fund Initiative Supports Chinese Football Youth's Overseas Dreams

On April 22, 2026, afternoon, the Chinese Football Association's "China Team Youth Inspiration Plan" and China Ping An Cooperation Press Conference was held at the National Olympic Center. The Chinese Football Association and China Ping An jointly announced the official launch of the "Chinese Football Association China Team Youth Inspiration Plan" (hereinafter referred to as the "Inspiration Plan"), providing special incentive funding for Chinese overseas players aged 15-23. Based on the principle of "focusing on individuals, supplemented by teams," it opens a financial guarantee channel for young players to develop in high-level overseas leagues. The first implementation cycle is 5 years, starting officially in 2026.

The funding targets of this plan focus on football players aged 15 to 23, holding Chinese nationality and valid passports, who must be registered with independent legal entity clubs of FIFA member associations, participate in designated level competitions, reside in the registration country for at least 180 days during the season (excluding injuries and national team call-ups), and have participated in at least one training session of any level of the Chinese Football Association national teams within the past 24 months. Individuals involved in illegal activities, suspensions, match-fixing, gambling, or other actions violating sports ethics and social values are strictly prohibited from applying.

The funding scope covers high-level leagues and youth team competitions in Europe, South America, and Asia: clubs from different league levels of the top 8 UEFA-ranked associations, the top 40 clubs of CONMEBOL, and top professional league clubs in Japan and Korea are included. It also incorporates participating teams in U15 to U21 youth competitions of these associations, balancing the needs for adult team实战 and youth team development.

This plan establishes a three-dimensional funding system comprising "Basic Subsidy + Development Subsidy + Special Reward," while also setting a one-time living subsidy to cover the needs of overseas players at different development stages.

• Basic Subsidy
• Based on 120,000 yuan per season, coefficients are set according to player age and team level: coefficient 1.3 for players aged 15-17, 1.2 for ages 18-20, 1.0 for ages 21-23. The team level coefficient can reach up to 6, encouraging players to join higher-level league platforms.
• Development Subsidy
• Also based on 120,000 yuan per season, coefficients are calculated according to the proportion of player's official match playing time. Higher proportions yield higher coefficients (maximum 2.5), incentivizing players to play more matches and enhance practical skills.
• Special Reward
• For players appearing in continental competitions, the maximum per season can reach 250,000 yuan, and rewards can be叠加 for multiple competitions, encouraging players to showcase their abilities on the international stage. Additionally, for players who do not meet top club standards but consistently play in UEFA lower-level youth teams, a one-time living subsidy of 100,000 yuan per season is set, providing basic保障 for young players in the起步阶段.

The plan sets strict application and review procedures. The first application period is from June 1 to June 30, 2026. Subsequent application windows are每年 June for跨年赛季 (European leagues) and每年 January for non-跨年赛季. Players need to submit application forms, personal resumes, identity proofs, registration documents, appearance proofs, etc. Players under 18 require guardians to apply on their behalf. The Chinese Football Association establishes a specialized review panel,邀请社会监督 participation. After material review, amount calculation, and公示 of the list without异议, funding is disbursed. Clear监管红线 are defined: falsification will result in permanent disqualification and recovery of all funds; applying for team funding under个人名义 is strictly prohibited to ensure funds are truly used for individual player development.

For a long time, financial pressure and insufficient生活保障 have been major factors制约 young players' overseas development. This plan, through incentive funding, both resolves players' concerns about overseas living and training, and guides players towards higher-level leagues, avoiding low-level "overseas镀金," promoting a良性发展模式 of "training through matches, growth through实战."同时, the plan makes national team experience one of the application门槛, linking overseas development with national team talent储备, allowing players performing well overseas to enter the national team视野 faster,打通 the pathway of "overseas - growth - serving the country."

Chinese Football Association Chairman Song Kai pointed out in his concluding speech: "The growth of football talent follows its own规律. The shaping of high-level竞技能力离不开熏陶 by advanced技战术理念 and锤炼 by high-quality竞赛 environments. The 'Inspiration Plan' aims precisely to enable promising children to dare to go out, be able to go out, stay abroad, and play regularly." He介绍 that the Chinese Football Association is actively preparing and推进 the Overseas Training Plan for Chinese Youth Football Talent, aiming to systematically cultivate后备力量 with international competitiveness. The "Inspiration Plan," as a关键一环 in the overseas training system, will focus on providing专项支持与保障 for elite players. He同时呼吁 more social forces to join this plan,共同浇灌 and培育 the沃土 for Chinese youth football development.