What is the CFA?
The Chinese Football Association (中国足球协会, CFA) is the national football association of China. FIFA lists it as its member association for China PR, in the AFC confederation, with its website at thecfa.cn.[1] The association describes itself as a national, sector-wide social organisation (“全国性、行业性社会团体”) formed voluntarily by organisations and individuals committed to the development of football in China, with a public-interest, representative and professional character.[3]
What does the CFA govern or do?
The CFA’s website carries its notices, referee appointment schedules and a banned list (禁业名单), alongside news of the national teams.[2] It describes itself as the only lawful body representing China in FIFA and the AFC.[3]
The site links to a separate website (cfl-china.cn) of 中国足球职业联赛联合会, one of its industry members, for information on the Chinese Super League, China League One, China League Two and the U-21 league.[2]
When was the CFA founded and where is it based?
The association states that it accepts the guidance and supervision of the State General Administration of Sport, as its business supervisory unit, and of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, as its registration authority.[3]
The CFA’s page on the national football training base places the base in Liusong Town, Xianghe County, Langfang, Hebei Province. It states that the CFA raised its own funds for the base in 1999 and that the base formally began hosting national-team training camps on 8 September 2002; it also hosts meetings and training of the CFA and the State General Administration of Sport, among other bodies.[5]
How is the CFA recognised?
FIFA. FIFA’s member-association page lists the Chinese Football Association as its member for China PR, with Song Kai as president.[1]
AFC. The same FIFA page places the association in the AFC confederation.[1]
National sport bodies. The CFA states that it is a unit member of the All-China Sports Federation, and that it is “代表中国加入国际足联和亚足联唯一合法机构” — the only lawful body representing China in FIFA and the AFC.[3]
What does the CFA organise?
The CFA’s website lists under its association competitions (协会赛事) the CFA Cup (足协杯), the China Amateur League (中冠), the Women’s Super League (女超) and Women’s League One (女甲), and youth competitions in the U-19, U-15 and U-13 groups. The Chinese Super League, China League One, China League Two and the U-21 league are covered on the separate site (cfl-china.cn) of 中国足球职业联赛联合会.[2]
The CFA’s page on the national football training base in Xianghe, dated 30 June 2018, states that from 2003 the base hosted AFC under-13, under-14 and under-15 championships, and that it has run coaching and refereeing courses for FIFA, the AFC and the EAFF.[5]
Who are its members?
The CFA’s member-associations page gives 53 member associations in three groups (as shown in October 2026).[4] The 32 provincial-level associations include those of the four municipalities — Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Chongqing — and of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. The 13 key-city associations include Changchun, Shenyang, Dalian, Qingdao, Chengdu, Wuhan, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. The 8 industry members include 中国足球职业联赛联合会 (a professional-league body), 中国学生体育联合会 (China Student Sports Federation) and 军事体育训练中心 (Military Sports Training Centre).[4]
References
- FIFA — Member associations: Chinese Football Association. Accessed 2026-10-13.
- Chinese Football Association — official website (home page). Accessed 2026-10-13.
- Chinese Football Association — 关于足协 (About the CFA). Accessed 2026-10-13.
- Chinese Football Association — 会员协会 (Member associations). Accessed 2026-10-13.
- Chinese Football Association — 国家足球训练基地 (National football training base). Accessed 2026-10-13.