On the evening of July 25, the 2026 Hunan Football League (HFL) kicked off at the Helong Stadium in Changsha. Changsha team hosted the defending champion Yongzhou team, securing a 4-0 victory in their opening match.

 
Mao Weiming, deputy secretary of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee and governor of Hunan Province, watched the match on the spot.

Provincial leaders Wang Daoxi, Wang Junshou, Hu Xusheng, Wang Yi'ou, Jiang Difei, Chen Jing, Lai Mingyong, as well as the secretary generals of the Standing Committee of the Hunan Provincial People's Congress, the Hunan Provincial People's Government, and the CPPCC Hunan Provincial Committee, were present.

Governor Mao sings the national anthem with tens of thousands of football fans.

The inaugural session of HFL, which kicked off last September, delivered impressive results over a three-month period. A total of 98 HFL matches attracted over 2.4 million spectator attendances and one billion online views, igniting football fever and boosting the sports economy in Hunan. The first HFL directly drove consumption exceeding 13.6 billion CNY, the hosted cities received more than 66.88 million visits, and related topics generated over 16.3 billion views and interactions, establishing a nationally renowned benchmark for grassroots football events and a viral, phenomenal sports brand.

The teams take the field.

The 2026 HFL has optimized the competition format based on last season's experience. In addition to reversing the home-and-away order for regular matches, this year's session has adjusted the quarter-finals and semi-finals to a two-legged home-and-away format. As a result, the number of regular matches remains at 91, while the knockout-stage matches increase from 7 to 13, bringing the total to 104. This significantly enhances both the quality and competitiveness of the event.

Additionally, the event has placed greater emphasis on locally developed players, expanded youth development efforts in each city and prefecture, and added a draft for college players. Focused on the core mission of cultivating young footballers, HFL requires each team to have no fewer than 20 middle-school student players, with at least three on the field simultaneously, aiming to build a professional and sustainable footballer development system.

Players compete fiercely.

Enthusiastic fans cheer for the players.

Enthusiastic fans cheer for the players.

On the opening night, Helong Stadium roared. Nearly 40,000 football fans gathered, with waves of cheers and shouts. The 14 city and prefecture teams took the field one by one with flags flying high. As the national anthem echoed through the stadium, the 2026 HFL kicked off passionately. The first match unfolded between Changsha and Yongzhou teams, and Changsha ultimately won 4-0 after an intense 90-minute match.

This article is from Hunan Provincial Government. www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Pang Yuehui

Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn