Several outlets describe China’s attempt to transform into a football superpower as falling short of stated goals. The plan is linked to President Xi Jinping’s period of policy push beginning around 2015, when China was reported to be ranked 81st in the world in football standings. Sources state that China’s ranking has since slipped to 91st. They also point to poor results during the qualification process for the current FIFA World Cup, including a 7–0 defeat to Japan, described as a major rival. The reporting attributes the lack of progress to a range of factors, including alleged corruption, the lingering effects of earlier population policies such as the one-child policy, and inefficient spending described as billions wasted on football development. Across the accounts, the core message is that the effort has not produced measurable improvement in performance or standing. While the articles emphasize different problem areas, they converge on the same outcome: China’s elite and competitive results do not match the ambition level set when the initiative was launched.