Japan, competing against China’s U23 team for the championship, is the underdog; 22 Japanese players valued over 1 million euros did not participate.

At 11 PM on January 24th Beijing time, the Chinese men’s football team experienced a historic milestone by reaching an intercontinental final again after 22 years; the previous occasion was the 2004 Asian Cup final against Japan, and now they face Japan once more for the championship.

In this U23 Asian Cup, China’s U23 team, ranked in the fourth pot, reached the final thanks to their outstanding defense, achieving clean sheets in all five matches. The total value of the Chinese U23 squad is 8.5 million euros, ranking just behind Iran and Saudi Arabia, making them the highest-valued team in the knockout stage, while Japan’s U23 squad is valued at only 6.58 million euros.

Within the Chinese U23 squad, only the following players have a market value exceeding 1 million euros:19-year-old Wang Yudong, valued at 1.5 million euros, whereas Japan’s U23 team is essentially the underdog, with all players under 20 years old and only two players valued above 1 million euros:20-year-old center-back Ichihara Rion, valued at 1.5 million euros; and 19-year-old attacking midfielder Sato Ryunosuke, valued at 1.2 million euros.

Did you know? Among Japan’s U23 players, there are actually 24 players valued over 1 million euros on Transfermarkt, led by Parma’s first-choice goalkeeperSuzuki Ayato, valued at 20 million euros, and among Japanese players of eligible age, three are valued over 5 million euros: Fujita Joruku Chima, a central midfielder for St. Pauli (8 million euros); Sano Kota, a midfielder for Nijmegen (6 million euros); and Takai Yukihiro, a central defender loaned from Tottenham to Borussia Mönchengladbach (5 million euros).

Statistics may be cold, but the game is passionate. The Chinese U23 team’s fighting spirit has brought them to the final, with the goal of winning the championship. Regardless of the outcome, these young players have made history for Chinese football — qualifying from the group stage and reaching the final for the first time as a fourth-seeded team in the U23 Asian Cup. It’s also important to acknowledge Japan’s football strength as the pinnacle of Asian football, learn from their advanced techniques, and strengthen ourselves. We hope Chinese football continues to improve…