Reborn, I Lead the China National Team to the World Cup

A veteran reborn with regrets and an unshakable obsession uses his tactical vision, decades ahead of its time, to lead Chinese football out of the mire and create a miracle at the World Cup.

In 2026, 38-year-old former national team player Lin Hai watched on TV as China crashed out of World Cup qualifying once again. He suffered a sudden heart attack and died. When he came to, he found himself sprawled on the lower bunk of a messy youth team dormitory. The date on his phone screen was unmistakable: he had returned to the day he turned eighteen, the day he reported to the provincial youth team selection camp. Everyone he knew was young again: the close friend who would retire early due to injury, the mentor who would be transferred away during his first professional career, and his first love, with whom he would eventually part ways.

In his previous life, he had debuted under the label of the “Golden Generation” and played through two World Cup qualifying campaigns, yet never managed to reach the World Cup itself. Given another chance at life, he has just one thought: This time, I will lead China onto the World Cup stage.