The preparations for the Dalian 2025 FISU University World Cup Football are going well. The FISU delegation was impression by the innovative and legacy projects presented by the organising committee.
FISU Head of Championships and World Cups, Alejandro Guerra and FISU Sports Coordinator Paulo Sivieri travelled to China for a very complete second inspection visit to discuss the preparations for the Dalian 2025 FISU University World Cup Football, that will take place in September this year.
On 24-25 and 26 April, the FISU representatives, led by a very efficient Jie Yang, visited the venues and the impressive Dalian Football Youth Training Base where the competitions will be held. They also held several meetings with representatives from the organising committee – including Jiabin Goy, Deputy Vice-Director – and with the local authorities – including Dalian’s Vice-Mayor Damin Li – about the services to the participants, the competition details and all the activities connected to this FISU University World Cup.
Meetings, discussions and visits
Dalian is a major port city in Liaoning province (China). The third-most populous city of Northeast China is a financial, shipping, and logistics center for East Asia. The city has a significant history of use by foreign powers for its ports and therefore has been used to receiving foreign visitors. Between 17-28 September 2025, it will be the turn of the best student-footballers to experience Dalian’s beautiful sea views, exotic streets and to catch a glimpse of the century-old European buildings in Zhongshan Square.
Impressive main stadium
But the representatives coming from 15 countries and all five continents – FISU is in the process of confirming which men’s and women’s teams will participate in the Dalian 2025 FISU University World Cup Football – will also be spoilt as far as the pitches are concerned: the city has a strong football tradition and possibly the best stadium in the whole country, with the Suoyuwan Football Stadium and its 63,000 spectators capacity that will host the opening and closing ceremonies as well as the finals.
The FISU representatives were impressed at the level of innovation shown at the Dalian Football Youth Training Base, which is one of China’s national football training centres. They were shown a control room that constantly monitors the state of the grass on the pitches.
And when a piece of turf needs to be replaced, the “gardener” in charge is a drone, who takes care of precisely removing the damaged patch before replacing it.
The new grass is rapidly set into place. This cutting-edge technology allows for constant perfect pitches with natural grass, which is a requirement for FISU football competitions.
Nine venues
The team draw will take place at the beginning of August and the tournament will take place in nine different venues:
- Suoyuwan Football Stadium (Opening, Closing & Finals)
- Suoyuwan Football Stadium Outer Field 1
- Suoyuwan Football Stadium Outer Field 2
- Multisports Field
- Sports Center Field 1
- Youth Training Base Stadium
- Youth Training Base Field 1
- Youth Training Base Field 7
- Youth Training Base Field 11
A strong planned legacy
None less that 13 universities are involved in the event at different levels. They of course offer constant support and many volunteers, but they are also planning numerous cultural activities as well as exchange programmes and a scholarship as a legacy after the FISU World Cup, to maintain the bond between local and participating universities in the future.
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