September 9: U23 National Olympic Team’s Market Value Exceeds €10 Million! Higher Than Senior National Team! Is the 2030 World Cup Really Within Reach?

With the release of the U23 national team’s Asian Games squad these past two days, a striking statistic has emerged: this Olympic team’s total market value has surpassed €10 million, higher than the combined value of the domestic players in the senior national team.

A few years ago, the U23 team reaching a total value of €5 million would already have been considered fortunate. This generation has doubled that figure directly.

Many fans may ask how this market value is calculated. It is not a salary or a transfer fee. The Transfermarkt data platform provides a market reference valuation, considering factors such as age, league appearances, performances, and potential before making a comprehensive assessment. A high valuation means the industry recognizes a player’s talent and believes he has room to develop, but it remains only a reference and does not mean the player will automatically win matches after taking the field.

One thing is certain: Wang Yudong is valued at €1.8 million and Zhu Chenjie at €1 million. They are currently the only two domestic players in China valued above €1 million. On the senior team side, Wei Shihao’s €750,000 valuation is already the highest, while the others are even lower. No matter what formation Shao Jiayi chooses, it is basically impossible for the senior team’s domestic players to match this U23 squad’s total value.

What is the biggest difference between this Olympic team and previous ones? In earlier years, U23 players trying to earn playing time in the Chinese Super League often relied on the Football Association’s U23 policy to force opportunities. Without policy support, young players could only sit on the bench and it was extremely difficult to break through. This generation is different. Wang Yudong, Hu Hetao, Yang Xi, Li Hao and others have all established themselves as regular starters at their clubs through their own performances. Some are already good enough for the senior national team, but were brought to the Olympic team because of the Asian Games age restrictions.

There are also areas of controversy. For example, Mutalip has played seven matches for Chengdu Rongcheng this season, totaling only 112 minutes, essentially having limited playing time, but head coach Antonio still selected him. He did the same at the U23 Asian Cup earlier this year, showing clear trust in him. Li Xinxiang, who has impressed in the league with five goals and two assists, was instead left out. The 18-year-old Bunyamin has recorded four goals and three assists in 19 appearances this season, but because Antonio’s 3-5-2 system does not have a pure winger role, he was not included. It is reported that Shao Jiayi’s side has already taken notice of him, and he is likely to be called up by the senior team.

One statistic from this squad list is quite remarkable: 22 of the 23 players have consistent playing time in the Chinese Super League, and more than half are key starters for their clubs. Looking back a few years, U23 players were still fighting for rotation opportunities under policy rules. Now, this group no longer needs such support.

However, the intensity of competition in the Chinese Super League and in international tournaments are completely different. Although the U23 Asian Cup earlier this year ended with a runner-up finish, past lessons remain clear: players can perform brilliantly in domestic leagues but reveal old problems such as weak pressure handling and rushed decision-making once they enter international competition. The Asian Games will be the best test of whether they can handle tough matches and deliver performances matching their valuations.

Based on their ages, this group of players is the core generation for a potential push toward the 2030 World Cup. By the time World Cup qualifying begins in 2030, they will be between 24 and 27 years old, the prime age range. Most members of the current senior national team will have retired or stepped aside by then, and much of the future responsibility of Chinese football will fall on this generation.

But football has never been transformed by one generation appearing briefly. Younger age groups, such as the U17 players, have shown even stronger potential and competitiveness, although they will not have their opportunity until the 2034 cycle. The emergence of talent is a positive sign, but the real test is the overall environment: whether young players can receive stable playing opportunities, whether the youth development system can keep pace, and whether talented prospects will be wasted.

This Olympic team is a positive signal, but there is no reason for blind optimism. Fans naturally hope these young players can fulfill their potential, but Chinese football’s path out of its difficulties depends not on impressive statistics, but on progress built step by step.

The Asian Games will begin soon. How far this ‘most expensive’ Olympic team in history can go will soon become clear.