China Greatest All-time 23 member team

World Cup 2002

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.

Before the World Cup qualifiers for 1982, the Peoples' Republic of China had limited opportunities to compete internationally.  The national team known as China was actually the Republic of China playing with players from Hong Kong.  In 1982, China entered the World Cup Qualifiers for the first time since 1958 with star players Rong Zhixing and Gu Guangming from Guangdong. They nearly made it to Spain, but New Zealand beat Saudi Arabia 5-0 at Riyadh on the last match of the Final round and made up the goal difference. New Zealand won the playoff match.  Two years later, China once again reached the Final of the Asian Cup.  Jia Xiuquan emerged as one of the best defenders in Asia.  In 1988, they qualified for the Seoul Olympics, a full national team tournament for AFC.  In 1989, China once again nearly qualified for the WC Finals.  They were leading Qatar 1-0 at the last game of the AFC Final Round, a result that would send China to the Italy 1990, but China gave up 2 goals on the 87th minute and surrendered the berth to UAE.  China did not do well in the following World Cup qualifiers, but managed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup Finals.  Since 2002, China, however, seemed to have regressed.

World Cup Qualifiers in 1981

Team 
GK: Li Fusheng 李富胜

Li Fusheng was the highest cap goalkeeper for China with 116 caps between 1976 and 1984.  He went to the Asian Cup in 1976.  He was a part of the team who narrowly missed out in qualifying for the 1982 FIFA World Cup, losing to New Zealand in a play-off.  For his club career, he started with Chengdu.  He was a member of Bayi team (the army team.), where he played between 1975 and 1984.  

GK: Fu Yubin 傅玉斌
Fu Yubin spent his entire career with Liaoning where he won several Chinese league titles and the 1990 Asian Club Championship. The team was the dominant club team in China of his generation. For the national team, he represented China in the 1992 Asian Cup where he aided them to a third-place finish.  For his club career, he was playing for Liaoning winning the Asian Club Championship in 1990.

GK:  Zhang Huikang (张惠康)

Zhang Huikang began his career in 1980 and quickly rose through the ranks. He played a vital role in China's qualification for the 1988 Olympics and was named Asia's best goalkeeper in the 1988 Asian Cup. Although he missed the 1990 World Cup, Zhang made 35 appearances for the national team before retiring in 1993.  For his club career, he played for Shanghai and South China in Hong Kong.

RB: Sun Jihai 孙继海

Sun Jihai joined Crystal Palace with teammate Fan Zhiyi in 1999 and became the first Chinese national to play in England.  In 2002, he made a big move to Manchester City where he spent 7 seasons and became a regular starter for his first three seasons.  However, he suffered an injury in his fourth season.  He spent the rest of his career in and out of the lineup.  He represented China at the World Cup Finals in 2002.  He played 80 times for China.

Sun Jihai

RB: Zhu Bo 朱波

Zhu Bo was capped 83 times for China between 1983 and 1993.  He is China's second most capped player. He was a key player as it took second place in the 1984 Asian Cup.  He played for Bayi in the Chinese league between 1978 and 1983, winning two league titles.  He later played a few more seasons with Shenzhen before retiring in 1997.  He was at one p oint the captain of the Chinese national team as well as Bayi.

CB: Li Weifeng 李玮峰

Li Weifeng was capped 112 times for China between 1998 and 2011.  He played for various clubs in China.  His longest stint was with Shenzhen. He had a brief stint with Everton in England during the 2002-2003 season.  He also played for Suwon Bluewings in the K-League. He earned 112 caps and went to the World Cup Finals in 2002. He served as its captain at one point.  He is China's most capped player.

CM/CB: Zheng Zhi 郑智
Zheng Zhi is best remembered for playing three seasons with Charlton Athletic in England.  He later played with Celtic for a short time. He is also known for captaining Guangzhou Evergrade that won the AFC Champions' League in 2013 and 2015.  For the national team, he earned 108 caps between 2002 and 2019.  He captained the under-23 national team that competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing.  He was named Asian Player of the Year in 2013.

Zheng Zhi

CB:  Fan Zhiyi 范志毅
Fan Zhiyi was the Asian Player of the Year in 2002.   He earned over a 100 caps for China.  He captained China as it reached the World Cup Finals for the first time in 2002.  He played three seasons for Crystal Palace and became a captain there as well. At home, he played mainly for clubs in his native Shanghai, notably with Shanghai Shenhua.  He had a stint playing for Rangers in Hong Kong.

CB:  Jia Xiuquan 贾秀全

Jia Xiuquan was the Chinese captain from 1987 to 1992.  In 1984, he won the MVP award at the Asian Cup, where China finished second.  He joined Yugoslavia's FK Partizan in 1987 becoming one of the first footballers from PRC to play in Europe.  He was also the first Chinese player to play in the UEFA Cup. In China, he played club football with Baiyi.  He later played club football in Malaysia and Japan. He played for Gamba Osaka during J-League's inaugural season in 1993.

Jia Xiuquan

LB: Wu Chengying 吴承瑛

Wu Chengying played for Shanghai Shenhua and won the Chinese Jia-A League title in 1995 and the Chinese FA Cup in 1998. In He also played on loan with Dalian Wanda. He joined Shanghai International in 2003, becoming the highest-ever Chinese transfer in football history at that time. He was a regular starter for the national team, participating in the 2000 AFC Asian Cup and the 2002 FIFA World Cup. 

LB: Sun Xiang 孙祥
Sun Xiang became the first Chinese player to appear in a Champions' League match when he played for PSV Eindhoven against Arsenal in 2007.  He started his career with Shanghai Shenhua.  He also played in Austria.  He was a member of the all-conquering Guangzhou Evergrade from 2010 to 2014. His twin brother Sun Ji was also capped by China.

CB/DM/FW: Chi Shangbin 迟尚斌

Chi Shangbin spent his entire senior football career playing for Liaoning, a Chinese football club. He was called up to the China national football team starting from the 1970s. During his international career, he participated in notable tournaments such as the AFC Asian Cup in 1976 and 1980, as well as the Asian Games in 1974, 1978, and 1982. He had 58 caps for the Chinese national team between 1974 and 1982.

CM: Li Tie 李铁

Li Tie first made his name with Liaoning FC in China.  Later, he secured a move to Everton in 2003, where he spent a very successful first season. He was a starter for most of the season, but injuries had kept him from action for the next few seasons.  He had a stint with Sheffield United for two seasons.  He also played for Chengdu Blades after he returned home.  He earned 92 caps between 1995 and 2007. He played in the 2002 World Cup Finals. 

Li Tie

CM: Shao Jiayi 邵佳一

Shao Jiayi played for Energie Cottbus,1860 Munich, and MSV Duisburg in Germany as well as for Beijing Guoan.  He had 40 caps for China. He went to the World Cup Finals in 2002. Shao was also a key player for the national team in the 2004 AFC Asian Cup where he scored three goals during the tournament which led China to finish as runners-up. He was the AFC Asian Cup Fans' All Time Best XI in 2018.

RW: Gu Guangming 古广明

Gu Guangming was a star in the 1980's.  He played for Guangzhou FC alongside Rong Zhixing.  He went to Germany and played for SV Darmstadt 98 from 1987 to 1992, where he was a star player in the Bundesliga 2.  He was one of the first Chinese players from PRC to play in Europe. Gu played for China from 1979 to 1985.  He was a key player for China that narrowly missed the World Cup Finals in 1982.

LW: Wu Lei 武磊
From 2006 to 2018, Wu Lei played for Shanghai SIPG, where he started as 14 years old, the youngest ever professional footballer in China. He is the all-time leading scorer in the Chinese league.  He also finished the 2018 top scorer and became the Chinese Player of the Year. In 2019, he joined Espanyol in La Liga.  Since 2010, he is a member of the Chinese national team.  He is among the greatest goal scorer ever from China.

Wu Lei

LW: Wu Qunli 吴群立

Wu Qunli was predominantly remembered for his time at Guangzhou FC.  He was the CFA Footballer of the Year in both 1990 and 1993.  He joined Hong Kong First Division League side South China in 1994, where he became a star player. He later played for Golden and Tai Po. For China, he was capped 39 times between 1985 and 1993. He went to the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.

AM/FW: Rong Zhixing 容志行 
Rong Zhixing was known as the "Chinese Pele".  He made his national team, debut in 1972 and retired in 1983.   He played 34 times for China. He went to the Asian Cup in 1976.  He was a part of the team who narrowly missed out in qualifying for the 1982 FIFA World Cup, losing to New Zealand in a play-off match held in Singapore.  He was born on a ship heading to India from China.  He is from Taishan, Guangdong.  His family lived in India until 1953. 

Rong Zhixing

AM: Peng Weiguo (彭伟国)

Peng Weiguo's club career started with Guangzhou Apollo. In 1994,he personally achieved recognition by winning the prestigious Golden Ball award. Chongqing Longxin signed him in 1998. Unfortunately, Weiguo struggled to meet the high expectations placed upon him at Chongqing Longxin. He made a move back to the Guangdong province, joining Shenzhen Pingan in 2000. In the 1992 AFC Asian Cup, he helped China to clinch third place as well as finishing 2nd at the 1994 Asian Games. 

FW:  Lee Wei Tong  李惠堂

Lee Wei Tong was born in Hong Kong, but elected to play for the Republic of China.  He went to play in 1936 Olympics, where he made a strong impression.  At home, he predominantly played for South China and helped establish the club in being the most successful team in Hong Kong history. Lee, nicknamed the "King of Asian football", was said to have scored at least 1,260 goals during his 25-year playing career.

ST: Liu Haiguang 柳海光
Liu Haiguang spent the majority of his career playing for the Shanghai Team, He also joined Yugoslav club FK Partizan along with his Chinese teammate Jia Xiuquan in 1987.  He returned o Shanghai soon afterward.  On the international stage he represented China at the 1984 and 1988 AFC Asian Cup and in the 1988 Summer Olympics. He scored 36 goals for China national football team making him their 2nd highest goalscorer. 

Liu Haiguang

ST: Ma Lin 马林

Ma Lin played mainly Liaoning FC and won the 1988-1989 Asian Club Championship.  He played in a brief loan with NKK S.C. in Japan. Between 1984 and 1990, he was capped 45 times.  He played in the 1988 AFC Asian Cup, 1988 Summer Olympics and narrowly miss out of the qualification for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Between 1984 and 1990, he was capped 45 times.

ST: Hao Haidong 郝海东
Hao Haidong is widely viewed as China's greatest striker.  He played 107 times for China.  Hao enjoyed a stellar international career by playing at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and is the record top goalscorer with 41 goals for the Chinese national team.  For club football, he was best remembered for his years with Dalian Shide between 1997 and 2005, where he won 5 league titles. He also played for Baiyi(the army team) and Sheffield United.

Hao Haidong

Honorable Mention

Zeng Cheng (曾诚), Zhang Junxiu (张俊秀), Qu Chuiliang (区楚良), Wang Dalei (王大雷),  Jiang Jin (江津), Xu Hong (徐弘), Qi Wusheng (戚务生), Zhang Enhua (张恩华) , Li Weifeng (李玮峰), Feng Xiaoting (冯潇霆), Tyias Browning (蒋光太), Du Wei (杜威), Mai Chao (麦超), Lin Lefeng (林乐丰), Xu Yunlong (徐云龙), Zhang Yaokun (张耀坤), Jiang Jiexiang (姜傑祥), Zhang Linpeng (张琳芃), Xu Genbao (徐根宝)', Wang Houjun (王后军), Shen Xiangfu (沈祥福), Hao Junmin (蒿俊闵), Qi Hong (祁宏), Li Ming (李明), Zhao Junzhe 肇俊哲, Ma Mingyu (马明宇), Gao Lin(郜林), Li Jinyu (李金羽), Yang Xu(杨旭), Su Maozhen (宿茂臻), Zhao Dayu (赵达裕), Li Bing 黎兵.

Squad Explanation

-- In 2014, I only selected players from the Peoples' Republic of China.  I did a review of the team in May 2024.  And in 2024, I decided to include all players who played under the country China.  I did not separate players from the forms of governments for most of the other All-Time team for other national teams.  It seemed logical to do the same for China.  

-- My Germany All-Time team included all German players, but I excluded East German (DDR) players. Similarly, for this blog team, I would adopt the same approach.  I am including all players who played for the Republic of China before 1949.  After 1949, those players belonged to Chinese Taipei. However, Lee Wei Tong was the only player selected.

-- The IFFHS Men's All-Time China Dream Team includes Zhang Huikang, Sun Jihai, Jia Xiuquan, Fan Zhiyi, Mai Chao, Li Tie, Zheng Zhi, Gu Guangming, Hao Haidong, Lee Wai Tong, and Rong Zhixing.

-- Guangdong dominated football in the 1980's. Seven players on this team came from Guangdong. 

-- China qualified for the World Cup Finals in 2002.  I included eight members of the team: Hao Haidong, Fan Zhiyi, Sun Jihai, Wu Chengying, Shao Jiayi and Li Tie.

-- China retuned to international football in the 1970's.  They nearly qualified for the World Cup in Spain. In 1984, they reached the Final of the 1984 AFC Asian Cup. Jia Xiuquan won the MVP award, establishing himself as one of the best defenders in Asia at the time.

-- Rong Zhixing and Gu Guangming were probably two of China's biggest stars.  They were key players at the 1982 World Cup Qualifiers, but they were playing in an era when domestic league was not as well-known.  Gu Guangming later had the opportunity to play aboard in Germany.  Goalkeeper Li Fusheng also belonged to that generation.

-- Elkeson ( 艾克森), Fernandinho (费南多), Nico Yennaris (李可), Aloisio (洛国富) and Alan (阿兰) were naturalised players who had plenty of good club experiences, but they had not played enough for the national team.

Goalkeepers

-- Fu Yubin (傅玉斌) was voted 5th on the AFC Goalkeeper of the Century, but Li Fusheng (李富胜) was probably China's greatest goalkeeper. He was the highest cap goalkeeper for China with 116 caps.  He went to the Asian Cup in 1976.   The younger fans probably forgot about him.

Li Fusheng

-- Zhang Huikang ( 张惠康)'s heroic performance in the qualifying matches for the 1988 Seoul Olympics paved the way for the Chinese national team's historic breakthrough in Asia.  He was voted 4th as AFC Goalkeeper of the Century.   Qu Chuiliang (区楚良) was known as the "Flying on the Grass of Lingnan (岭南草上飞)".  Jiang Jin (江津) was the reason why China qualified for the 2002 World Cup Finals.  Zeng Cheng (曾诚) has achieved numerous domestic championship titles with Guangzhou Evergrande and has also made significant contributions on the Asian Champions League stage. 

-- Zhang Junxiu (张俊秀) played in the 1950's.  He was sent to train in Hungary, where he developed a strong friendship with Gyula Grosics.  In the 1955 World Youth Festival, he showcased his goalkeeping prowess while representing the Chinese youth national team in a match against Poland. His impressive performance caught the attention of the Polish party newspaper, "Warsaw Worker," which subsequently bestowed upon him the nickname "Great Wall" of China.

-- I also looked into Wang Dalei (王大雷).

Defenders

-- Sun Jihai and Fan Zhiyi joined Crystal Palace at the same time, Sun Jihai quickly returned to China.  Fan Zhiyi stayed and eventually became the captain of the team.  Sun Jihai, however, returned to England in 2002.  He established himself at Manchester City, where he became a fan favorite.  He was the most successful Chinese player playing in Europe.  Jia Xiuquan (贾秀全) was China's greatest defender.  The three of them were undisputed for this team.

-- For central defenders, I already selected Fan Zhiyi and Jia Xiuquan.  One Chinese source listed Xu Hong (徐弘) as China's second greatest central defender after Jia Xiuquan, but I only put him on honorable mentions.  Instead, I selected Zheng Zhi (郑智) who played for Charlton Athletic and was named the Asian Footballer of the Year in 2013.  

Fan Zhiyi 

-- The final spot was between Zhang Enhua (张恩华) and Li Weifeng (李玮峰).  Zhang Enhua was a key contributor to Dalian Wanda's achievement of winning seven league titles. Under the guidance of coach Bora Milutinović, he also represented China in the 2002 World Cup Finals.  However, Li Weifeng (李玮峰) was China's most capped footballer.  So I took him over Zhang Enhua.  Meanwhile, Chi Shangbin (迟尚斌) was also a central defender.

-- I also studied Feng Xiaoting (冯潇霆), Tyias Browning (蒋光太) and Du Wei (杜威 ).  Despite the Chinese Cultural Revolution cutting his career short, Qi Wusheng (戚务生) still managed to participate in the 1976 AFC Asian Cup. He was instrumental in China's third-place finish and served as their captain.

-- Sun Jihai was an undisputed selection for the rightback position largely becuase he was the most famous Chinese player playing in Europe.  Zhu Bo (朱波) easily took the second spot.  In his prime, he was considered the best rightback in Asia.  Zhang Linpeng (张琳芃) known as "China's Sergio Ramos" made honorable mention.

-- Sun Xiang became the first Chinese player to appear in a Champions' League match when he played for PSV Eindhoven against Arsenal in 2007.  However, most Chinese sources considered Wu Chengying (吴承瑛) as China's greatest leftback.  Mai Chao (麦超) might be a better leftback, but I rewarded Sun Xiang for breaking a milestone for Chinese football. Jiang Jiexiang (姜傑祥) was a prominent figure in the inaugural generation of the Chinese national football team following the establishment of the People's Republic of China. Renowned for his unwavering determination, he earned the nickname "拼命三郎" (The Tenacious Warrior). Xu Genbao (徐根宝) experienced a significantly curtailed career due to the impact of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. I don't know much about him.

-- Mai Chao (麦超)played his entire career with Guangzhou FC(which would become Guangzhou Evergrande).  He played 45 times for China between 1986 and 1992 and was at one point China's highest scoring defenders.  He was part of the squad that narrowly missed out of reaching the FIFA World Cup after losing the final group game to Qatar in the dying minutes during qualification.

-- The other notable fullbacks included Lin Lefeng (林乐丰) and Xu Yunlong (徐云龙).

Midfielders/Wingers

-- Li Tie had a successful first season with Everton, but quickly faded away due to injuries.  Chi Shangbin (迟尚斌) who captained China in the 1982 World Cup Qualifying rounds. He actually played in various positions including center-back, defensive midfielder, and forward.  Zheng Zhi could also play as a central midfielder.  He also did well enough while playing in England. He would later lead Guangzhou Evergrande to win the AFC Champions' league. This three locked down the defensive midfield position.

-- Rong Zhixing (容志行) was renowned as the "Chinese Pele" and regarded as one of the greatest players from the People's Republic of China (PRC). 

-- Xie Yuxin (谢育新) was the first Chinese from PRC who played in Western Europe when he joined FC Zwolle in 1987.  He stayed there for two years.  Ma Mingyu (马明宇) was the first Chinese player to join Italy's Serie A, but he did not play a single game. However, they were not held in as high regard as Peng Weiguo (彭伟国) or Shao Jiayi (邵佳一).

-- Peng Weiguo (彭伟国) sometimes referred to as the last representative of "southern-style" footballers in China, epitomizes the emphasis on technical ability, agility, and creativity associated with this style. Known for his quick and intricate passing, dribbling skills, and close ball control, he was recognized as the best technically skilled attacking midfielder in the past 30 years. Several sources listed him one of the top greatest Chinese players. Shao Jiayi (邵佳一) was one of the more successful Chinese players playing in Europe. 

-- Hao Junmin (蒿俊闵), Qi Hong (祁宏), Li Ming (李明) made honorable mentions.

-- Gu Guangming (古广明) was considered to be one of China's greatest players. Notably, he achieved remarkable success while playing in Germany during a time when it was uncommon to witness Asian players competing in European leagues. On the other hand, Wang Houjun (王后军)'s career was unfortunately marred by the tumultuous period of the Cultural Revolution. This era cast uncertainty upon his potential, leaving us to wonder what more he could have achieved under different circumstances. He was left on honorable mentions. Shen Xiangfu (沈祥福) also made honorable mention.

Gu Guangming

-- On the left, Wu Lei (武磊) established himself in the Chinese Super League at the time when it was the best league in Asia.  He finished as the league's top scorer in 2018.  Wu Qunli (吴群立) was China's greatest left winger before Wu Lei.  He was China's Player of the Year twice.

Forwards

-- Yang Chen (杨晨) had a notable season with Eintracht Frankfurt, but he struggled to maintain the same level of performance throughout his club career and for the national team. Despite scoring only 11 goals for the Chinese national team, he was often regarded as one of China's finest attackers. Unfortunately, I did not have a place for him on my team and instead opted for Ma Lin (马林) and Liu Haiguang (柳海光). Their contributions were instrumental in China's qualification for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. Liu Haiguang, at one point, held the record for being China's all-time leading scorer, with Ma Lin trailing him by just two goals. Moreover, Ma Lin's dominance in domestic football was evident with his achievements, including winning the Asian Club Championship in the 1989-1990 season with Liaoning FC.

-- Lee Wai Tong (李惠堂), born in Hong Kong, is often considered the greatest Chinese player, although he represented the Republic of China in the 1930s and showcased his talent at the 1938 Olympics. Similar to other Hong Kong players of his generation, he represented the Republic of China national team.  At the age of 17 years and 212 days, Lee achieved the remarkable feat of becoming the youngest player to score a hat-trick for a national team. Astonishingly, his record remains unbroken to this day, with Pele being the only player to come close at 17 years and 241 days.

Lee Wai Tong

-- Hao Haidong (郝海东) is widely viewed as China's greatest striker.  He is China's All-Time leading scorer.

-- Nian Weisi (年维泗) and Zhang Honggen (張宏根) was famous players before the 1960's.  I only put them on honorable mention.

-- Gao Lin (郜林), Yang Xu (杨旭), Zhao Dayu (赵达裕), Li Jinyu (李金羽) and Su Maozhen (宿茂臻) were some of the best Chinese forwards.

-- Elkeson ( 艾克森), Aloisio (洛国富) and Alan (阿兰) played well in the Chinese Super League, but they only played a handful games for China at this moment.  They are not ready for this team.

Starting lineup