Grand Kickoff of Bay Area City Football Tournament: 11 Districts Compete, "Sui Super League" Arrives!

Reported by Wang Wei At present, regional football tournaments such as the "Su Super," "Gan Super," "Xiang Super," and Guangdong "Provincial Super" are thriving, and Guangzhou in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is about to start this year’s city football league. On the afternoon of September 25, the 2025 Bay Area City Football Event press conference took place at the comprehensive building of Yanzigang Stadium in Guangzhou. Leaders and guests from Guangzhou Sports Bureau, Guangzhou Education Bureau, Guangzhou Football Association, and Guangzhou Sports Lottery Management Center attended. The meeting announced that the 2025 Bay Area City Football Event, hosted by Guangzhou Football Association, will officially begin in October. Among these, the 2025 Shudi Hong Guangzhou Football League, one of the Bay Area events, will kick off in mid-October. This year’s Guangzhou Football League is dubbed the "Sui Super," and with the rising popularity of competitions like the "Su Super" and "Xiang Super," the 2025 "Sui Super" league is highly anticipated.

It is known that the 2025 Bay Area City Football Event consists of "Three Competitions and One Activity," including the Shudi Hong Guangzhou Football League (Sui Super) and the Sui-Hong-Kong-Macao Invitational, the Sui-Hong-Kong-Macao Youth Football Invitational, a high-level Bay Area football match, and a Sui-Hong-Kong-Macao Football Carnival.

The first of the "Three Competitions and One Activity" is the 2025 Shudi Hong Guangzhou Football League and the Sui-Hong-Kong-Macao Invitational (11-a-side). The Guangzhou Football League, organized by the Guangzhou Football Association, is the highest-level amateur football competition within the city and serves as an important pathway connecting to the Chinese Champions League. This year, the league has secured Shudi Hong as its title sponsor.

This year’s Guangzhou Football League is the first to unify 11 district-based teams, with 286 players from across Guangzhou’s districts participating. Teams named after districts such as Yuexiu, Huangpu, Tianhe, Baiyun, Haizhu, Panyu, Nansha, Liwan, Huadu, Zengcheng, and Conghua will compete. Each district team may carry a sponsor name. The winning team will qualify for the 2026 China Football Association Champions League qualification tournament.

Liu Xingwei, Party Branch Secretary and Secretary-General of the Guangzhou Football Association, stated that this edition of the Guangzhou Football League will feature one representative team from each of the city’s 11 administrative districts. Following the format of the Champions League, this year’s league will consist of a "group stage + championship stage," with two group venues at Huangpu Sports Center and the Workers’ Stadium in Liwan District. The opening match and championship will be held at the Yuexiu Mountain Stadium, the professional football league venue. The opening ceremony and first game are scheduled for October 18. The champion will represent Guangzhou in the Sui-Hong-Kong-Macao Football Invitational.

Since the beginning of this year, with the popularity of regional leagues like the Su Super and Xiang Super, how will the "Sui Super" integrate culture, commerce, tourism, and sports? Peng Weiguo, Vice Chairman of Guangzhou Football Association and football veteran, said: “With each of Guangzhou’s 11 districts fielding a team, it enhances the identity and belonging of the teams to their districts, attracting more attention from local residents and football fans. This year’s Guangzhou league is definitely worth watching.”

Vice Chairman of Guangzhou Football Association and football veteran Mai Chao commented: “Guangzhou has a rich football heritage. As the city league develops, it not only strengthens the identity of district teams but also guides youth football development. We hope to discover more outstanding young talents through the Guangzhou Youth Football League and the Guangzhou Football League.”

He Lili, General Manager of Shudi Hong Wine Industry and representative of the 2025 Guangzhou Football League’s title sponsor, said: “With each of the city’s 11 districts fielding teams, fans from each district can come to support their local teams at the matches. This event is very grassroots and close to the fans and audience in each district. We hope the Guangzhou Football League will gain greater influence and attract more fans from different districts to support their teams.”

The second event of the Bay Area City Football Event is the 2025 Jin Feng Guangzhou Youth Football League and the Sui-Hong-Kong-Macao Youth Football Invitational. Held from October to December, it features 8 categories: U8 mixed-gender, U10 mixed-gender, U13 boys and girls, U15 boys and girls, and U17 boys and girls. There are 140 teams registered, with approximately 2,000 participants. Teams are formed by Guangzhou Football Association-registered professional or amateur football clubs, social training institutions, primary and secondary schools, and vocational schools in Guangzhou.

The third event of the Bay Area City Football Event is the 44th Provincial-Hong Kong Cup Football Tournament. The second leg of the Guangdong team’s home match is planned for early January 2026 in Guangzhou, with the Provincial-Hong Kong Veterans’ Football Match as a preliminary game.

Besides the three competitions, the “one activity” is a three-day Sui-Hong-Kong-Macao Football Carnival. This year, teams from Hong Kong, Macao, Meizhou, Foshan, Guizhou, and Gwangju, South Korea, will be invited to participate in youth and adult football exchanges, cultural exhibitions, special study tours, youth training seminars, and other activities. During this period, the Guangzhou Football Association will also organize youth visits to watch the grand National Games events held in Guangzhou.

Zhou Mingxian, Second-Level Inspector of Guangzhou Sports Bureau and Chairman of Guangzhou Football Association, stated that the 2025 Bay Area City Football Event will coincide with key moments such as the 30-day countdown to the 15th National Games opening, the torch relay, and the opening and closing ceremonies. The goal is to create a positive atmosphere for Guangzhou football participants and fans to “welcome and celebrate the National Games.” The series will include a “Zhixing Style Award” for various matches, urging Guangzhou football practitioners to fully recognize the contemporary significance of inheriting and promoting the “Zhixing Style.”