The 2025 FISU University World Cup Football kicked off in Dalian on September 17, bringing together 16 men’s teams and 8 women’s teams from 17 countries across five continents.

Vice Minister of Education Wang Jiayi opened the tournament, with FISU President Leonz Eder commending China’s organizational capabilities and its ongoing support for international student sports.

Unlike traditional national team competitions, this World Cup is contested by university squads. This year’s event is jointly hosted by FISU, the Federation of University Sports of China, and the Dalian Municipal Government.

China is represented by four teams: Beijing Normal University and Shanghai University of Sport in the women’s competition, and Beihang University and Yanbian University in the men’s. Other contenders include teams from Spain, Australia, Brazil, Croatia, Canada, Ghana, Chile, Ukraine, New Zealand, France, Thailand, Colombia, Morocco, United Arab Emirates, South Korea, and Nigeria.

In the opening match, Shanghai University of Sport’s women’s team defeated Spain’s University of Valencia 4–0.