Chinese Players at the World Cup

There is little doubt that the Brazil World Cup is the hottest sporting event in the world this summer， even for Chinese soccer fans despite the fact that their national team failed to qualify for the finals. Some joke that China “got the best draw because it successfully avoided all 32 finalists of the World Cup.” Despite the absence of the Chinese team， however， a group of Chinese enterprises have made their way to the Brazil World Cup， dubbed the “most expensive” in the event’s history.

Sole Sponsor from China

China’s Yingli Solar has become one of the eight sponsors – and the only Chinese company – of the world’s most-watched sporting event. In fact， this isn’t Yingli’s first time sponsoring the event. Four years ago， Yingli Solar became the first Chinese renewable energy company to sponsor the FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

This time， Yingli Solar provided 27 sets of photovoltaic systems to power stadium lighting in all host cities and installed solar charging stations at media centers in six stadiums， including Sao Paulo. In addition， the company offered photovoltaic modules to the parking lot in downtown Rio de Ja-neiro， which is the first and also the largest photovoltaic-lit parking lot in Brazil.

In return， the logo of Yingli Solar appears on electronic advertising boards at all 64 matches of the Brazil World Cup for about eight minutes each time. Its photovoltaic products are also on display at in-stadium media centers， VIP lounges， and the International Media Center. Outside stadiums， Yingli Solar will organize nearly 20 marketing events themed around the World Cup.

Mascot Licensee

Fuleco， the mascot of this year’s World Cup， was actually manufactured by Kayford Holdings Ltd.， a Chinese company based in Hangzhou， capital of Zhejiang Province. In November 2013， after several rounds of competition， the company became the official licensee of FIFA 2014 Brazil World Cup plush mascots， 3D mascot figurines， key chains， party products， and car accessories. This was the first time for a Chinese company to win the honor. It is also the only non-Brazilian licensed dealer of plush and 3D Fuleco. The mascot’s manufacturers include a toy company in Tianchang City， Anhui Province.

Kayford retained the right to set prices for the plush mascots and other related products. For this reason， it can earn profits two or three times more than just a manufacturer. Before the games began on June 13， licensed mascots and other souvenirs produced by China had been marketed globally.

Infrastructure Construction

As early as 2010， the organizing committee of the Brazil World Cup launched a campaign in Beijing to invite companies from around the world to invest in Brazilian infrastructure projects involving stadium construction， transportation， airport renovation， and accommodation facilities， with a total value of US$549 billion.

Brazil built six new stadiums and renovated another six stadiums for the World Cup. Major suppliers of building machinery used in these construction and renovation projects included European giants such as Liebherr， as well as Chinese brands represented by Sany. Over the past several years， Sany cranes were operating around the clock at construction sites of the Brasilia National Stadium and Cuiaba’s Arena Pantanal. Equipment supplied by Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group（XCMG） was seen at the construction site of Arena Pernambuco near Recife in northeastern Brazil.

Statistics show that in 2012， Sany， XCMG， and another Chinese construction machinery manufacturer， Zoomlion， were the three largest players in Brazil’s crane market， together occupying 77 percent. In 2013， the three companies continued growing in the Brazilian market， and Sany’s market share grew to 37 percent. That year， Brazil became the largest buyer of China’s truck cranes with a total import volume of US$140 million.

Made in China

In 2012， China CNR Corporation Limited won the urban train purchase contract for the Brazil World Cup and the Rio 2016 Olympics. During the Brazil World Cup， 114 subway trains and 124 EMUs made by CNR operate along five urban railways that link to the Maracan？ Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. CSR Corporation Limited， another Chinese vehicle manufacturer， outbid Brazilian companies Marcopolo and Neobus and multinational brands Benz and Volvo to become the provider of newenergy buses shuttling between the airport and downtown of Curitiba， one of the host cities of the Brazil World Cup.

Moreover， LED displays used at the Brazil World Cup also come from China. The four outdoor LED screens at Brasilia National Stadium were supplied by Shenzhen Chip Optech Co.， Ltd. and Aoto Electronics， also headquartered in Shenzhen.

Jimo City in eastern Shandong Province has long been a renowned wig producer. Before the Brazil World Cup， its international orders grew sharply due to soccer fans’ increasing demand for wigs.

Although China’s soccer team has long been absent from the World Cup finals， Chinese enterprises have remained major players. A variety of made-in-China products， ranging from balls， scarves， LED screens， and EMUs to caxirola， the official musical instrument of the 2014 FIFA World Cup， are serving this year’s event， and making a positive influence in Brazil.

（Source： Strategy Think Tank）