A football city, a new track, a new collision—the third edition of the "Centennial Elite Schools Cup" men's high school division kicks off today

Reporter Chen Yong reports from Qingdao In 2024: Jinan; in 2025: Xi'an, Nansha, Qidong, Hengyang, and Dingnan; in 2026: Nansha, Qingdao, Zhidan, and Dingnan. From men's football to women's football, from campus to elite competition, from domestic tournaments to international matches, this expanding football journey has now reached the football city of Qingdao: the 2026 third edition of the Centennial Elite Schools Football Exchange Tournament (high school division) commences today at Qingdao Preschool Teachers College.

The High School Affiliated to Peking University, Hefei No.1 High School, and Kunming No.1 High School are participating for the third consecutive time; Qingdao Experimental High School, Jinan No.1 High School, Chongqing No.7 High School, and Hangzhou High School Qiantang School are joining for the second time; the host, Qingdao Preschool Teachers College, has formed a team with newly enrolled students (high school graduates) to compete. The tournament also features a special invitation to the professional youth training team Haitu U17 Selection Team and the high-quality social youth training institution Laixi Experimental School's "Chasing Wind Youth" squad, creating a fresh collision of styles.

The third "Centennial Elite Schools Cup" high school division opens in Qingdao, with the vocational education pathway system sparking intense discussion

Tradition continues, collisions unfold, and more football-oriented elite schools join: Chongqing Fengmingshan Middle School finished sixth in the men's U15 category in the inaugural Youth League and has repeatedly reached the finals with its U17 team; Hefei Luyang Senior High School won three consecutive titles in the Hefei Youth Football League from 2023 to 2025 and advanced to the top 24 in the 2025 Youth League finals; Linyi No.2 High School, in collaboration with Shandong Scout Football Club, hired two foreign coaches and also entered this year's Youth League finals; Guangzhou Peizheng Middle School is one of the three "leading dragon" schools in Guangzhou and qualified for the finals in the 2025 Youth League men's U17 regionals with six straight wins; Nanjing No.13 High School secured fourth place in the Jiangsu Provincial Campus Football League (men's high school division).

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Choosing a vocational college to host the "Centennial Elite Schools Cup" men's high school division is largely because vocational colleges play a critical role in China's three-line integration system for combining sports and education. The three lines are: the main line—a 6-3-1 through-train from primary to high school plus undergraduate football sports majors (and sports training with a football focus); the elite support branch line—new-style football schools (secondary vocational) and a secondary vocational-to-undergraduate 3+4 through-train system, which is the sports-education integration guarantee for elite youth training; and the bottom-line education branch line—a connection and through-train system from secondary vocational/high school to vocational college to undergraduate, including but not limited to a secondary vocational-to-vocational college 3+2 through-train, a high school-to-vocational college pathway, and a vocational college-to-undergraduate 3+2 through-train. This is a guarantee system focused on providing a safety net and education, with strong emphasis on practical and hands-on skills, covering areas such as coaching, refereeing, competition management, rehabilitation medicine, and football facilities.

High school players have never abandoned their professional dreams, striving for undergraduate institutions—including 985 universities. Meanwhile, on a parallel track, vocational colleges quietly provide a safety net, nurture talent, and build another upward pathway.

Qingdao Preschool Teachers College was the driving force behind drafting and promoting the "Football Sports" major at secondary vocational schools and the "Football Sports and Management" major at vocational colleges. It is also one of the first six pilot football vocational colleges designated by the Ministry of Education. In 2025, the Football Sports and Management major enrolled its first cohort. Despite having only two and a half months since enrollment and just five football specialists (the vocational college football sports major cannot yet recruit through single-enrollment channels, having achieved comprehensive evaluation enrollment for the first time this year), Qingdao Preschool Teachers College defeated Qingdao University of Science and Technology, a traditional football university, 4-3 in the Shandong Provincial Governor's Cup. Hou Zhiqiang, who has trained national team players such as Wei Shihao and Liu Yang, serves as the college's vice dean and head coach of its football vocational college. Li Jianlei, head coach of the Chinese futsal national team, has also joined the faculty.

Qingdao is a renowned football city in China. It leads the country in social football, campus football, and the quality of social youth training institutions. Although its professional football is not at the very top, having two Super League teams in one city demonstrates the depth of this football city. Qingdao Preschool Teachers College has opened up a new track for Qingdao football.

Century-old elite schools gather together, forging the deep foundation of the "Centennial Elite Schools Cup"; multiple models interweave and collide, giving this edition its distinctive character. Let us look forward to the athletes racing across the green field, showcasing their outstanding talents, honing their skills through exchange, and growing positively through these collisions.