This story draws on the Japanese soccer anime Captain Tsubasa. It follows Chinese soccer through a century of ups and downs: from its first attempt to qualify for the World Cup in 1957, to its first appearance in 2002, its first time hosting the tournament in 2034, and its first World Cup victory in 2038. It goes on to tell how the team eventually becomes the first in the world to win six consecutive World Cup and Olympic titles, while the women’s team rises to glory, falls into decline, and achieves new success. After a global catastrophe, Chinese soccer climbs out of another slump and returns to glory as a world superpower.
Over the course of this century, the men’s team goes from obscurity to becoming a top Asian side, then sinks to the bottom five in Asia before gradually growing into a world-class team. The women’s team begins in glory, falls into decline, and eventually becomes one of the world’s best. Later, the mixed team rises from glory to decline and then becomes a world-leading powerhouse, dominating global soccer and ultimately producing a world-class all-around king of the game.
The story is close to reality, though it differs from real events. It adds dramatic, science-fictional, and emotional plotlines, as well as details about the protagonist’s personal and romantic life. Most characters are fictional, but each is based on real people. For instance, Chen Dajiang represents Xu Genbao, Zhang Honggen, Rong Zhixing, and Gao Fengwen; Su Dongying represents Gao Hongbo, Ma Mingyu, Jia Xiuquan, Liu Jun, and many others. Some characters’ names sound like those of real players but are written differently. They will be introduced gradually as the story unfolds.
