Making new history: China U23 team advances to the final with zero goals conceded, boasting a total value of 8.48 million euros, ranking first in the knockout stage.

The U23 Asian Cup has begun, and as a fourth-seeded team, China U23’s original goal was to break new ground by advancing past the group stage for the first time. Thanks to the young players’ solid mentality and defense, they have impressively reached the final without conceding a single goal in five matches, set to compete against Japan U23 for the championship. Fans jokingly say that China U23 has made history and changed plans—now they aim to win the title.

In their first four matches, China U23 played cautiously on the counterattack, leading many to think they lacked offensive firepower. However, in the semifinal against Vietnam U23, they shifted to an attacking style, scoring three goals compared to just one in the previous four games. The team transformed from a defensive shield into a sharp spear. Actually, China U23 has the highest total market value among all knockout teams in this tournament. Their combined worth is 8.48 million euros, ranking third after Saudi Arabia (9.2 million euros) and Iran (9.13 million euros), both of whom failed to reach the knockout stage. China U23 was holding back earlier but showed great passion in the semifinals, winning 3-0 over Vietnam with a heavily rotated squad, and now advances to face Japan in the final.

The highest-valued player in China U23 is Zhejiang club’s key striker Wang Yudong, valued at 1.5 million euros. Hu Hetao is worth 700,000 euros, Xiang Yuwang and Liu Haofan 500,000 euros each, Mao Weijie and Xu Bin 450,000 euros, while Bai Helamu, Wumitijiang, Yang Xi, Yang Haoyu, Li Zhenquan, and Peng Xiao are each valued at 400,000 euros. Goalkeepers Li Hao and Zhang Aihui, who have kept clean sheets in all five matches, are valued at 350,000 euros each. It is believed that after this U23 Asian Cup, the market value of these players will rise significantly—definitely an upward trend...