The October 24 match brought high school players to a major professional venue in Beijing. The tournament organizers instituted a 600,000-yuan prize fund for the final stage, awarding 300,000 yuan to the champions, 200,000 yuan to the runners-up, and 100,000 yuan to the third-place team to cover equipment, travel, and coaching costs for regional squads.

Grassroots Reach Across Thirty-One Regions

The 2026 edition reached more than 350 schools across 20 provinces, engaging 4,864 players and coaches. Across its three-year history, the Dongrun Cup has recorded participation from over 1,000 school teams and more than 10,000 players and staff, sending over 30 participants into national youth training camps and youth national teams.

Corporate Strategy Behind the Grassroots Pitch

At the signing ceremony, Li Yunfei stated that the company could not take the field for the players, but could bring them to the match. Since 2024, the automaker has funded overseas football exchanges for more than 200 youth players visiting clubs and attending international matches in Europe, Japan, Southeast Asia, and South America. While those elite trips connect a small group of players to European clubs and international fixtures, the partnership with the Dongrun Cup shifts resources toward ordinary high school teams rather than professional academies.

Club Academies Outnumber School Teams in Youth League

Yet professional club academies retain the upper hand in top-tier competitions, fielding nine teams in the 24-team U17 Chinese Youth Football League in 2026, compared to eight pure school teams. Regional high schools also face ongoing hurdles regarding coaching quality, training infrastructure, and academic progression routes even as national competitions expand.

October 24 Tournament Details

The 2026 Dongrun Cup national finals concluded on the evening of October 24 at Beijing Workers’ Stadium, featuring 22 teams from 20 provinces. The competition stands alongside separate corporate sports investments by BYD, which maintains official partnerships with Manchester City, Inter Milan, and Paris Saint-Germain.