China did not have a team on the pitch during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, which concluded on December 18, but that hadn't stopped the country from participating in it. 

How did it manage to make a notable presence in one of the most widely viewed sports events in the world? The answer lies in the made-in-China and made-by-China products, ranging from stadiums to souvenirs, scoring hit after hit from the event's sidelines.

Among them, one of the most eye-catching ones is the Lusail Stadium constructed by China Railway International Group in the city of Al Daayen—located within the periphery of Doha, capital of Qatar. The golden bowl-shaped stadium, which can seat nearly 90,000 spectators, is the flagship venue for the World Cup 2022. What's more, it's the first piece of China-built landmark architecture to appear on Qatari banknotes.

Then there are the two Chinese bus and truck manufacturers who exported more than 3,000 buses to Qatar, including 888 electric-powered ones, offering shuttle services to fans, officials, and journalists attending the event from across world. It is the first time that Chinese new energy buses are used at a major global sporting event. After the World Cup, the buses will be used in the local public transportation network.

"China-made T-shirts, widgets, and badges are the top-selling items. I am proud that goods from my homeland are to the liking of football fans from around the world," Yu Yilian, a Chinese saleswoman at a retail franchise in Doha, told Xinhua News Agency in a recent interview. Yu is a staff member of Qatar Airways, who volunteered at the store for the duration of the competition.

According to the Yiwu Sporting Goods Association, 70 percent of peripheral products sold in Qatar during the World Cup 2022 hail from Yiwu City in Zhejiang Province. Yiwu is home to the world's largest small commodity wholesale market.

Chinese companies are also the biggest sponsors of the Qatar World Cup. One Chinese brand, Wanda, has global rights to all FIFA events as a FIFA partner and three Chinese FIFA World Cup sponsors have global rights to the FIFA World Cup only—Hisense, Mengniu and Vivo, according to marketing consultant Campaign Asia. The four companies have sponsored a whopping $1.395 billion, surpassing the $1.1 billion by American brands, according to London-based data analytics and consulting company GlobalData.

Insiders believe athletic sponsorship delivers long-term results for brand owners and their countries alike. “Brands that go global are brand ambassadors for China and, if successful in terms of global market share, can have a positive effect on national brand image,” Paul Temporal, a branding expert at Oxford University's Saïd Business School, told Al Jazeera, a Doha-based international radio and TV broadcaster.

China's presence at the World Cup 2022 mirrors its entrepreneurial efforts to go global—with the help of high-quality products.

Xu Deshun, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce, said in an interview that Chinese brands' actively involvement in the World Cup reflects the economic strength and strategic vision of Chinese enterprises. The FIFA World Cup, drawing attention from hundreds of millions of people, is not only a stage for promoting mutual understanding and friendship among countries, but also can bring huge advertising benefits to Chinese enterprises involved.

In the past decades, Chinese economy has made a gradual transition from rapid growth to high-quality development. Xi Jinping's report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on October 18, 2017, first mentioned a focus shifting to "high-quality development." Xi is general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission.

China's manufacturing sector has been moving toward higher-end, smarter, and greener production. The Lusail Stadium and the new energy buses used in Qatar, are among the centerpieces of China's manufacturing and innovation capabilities.

For brands, this isn't just about one tournament: they're looking to the future. Sports are cross-cultural and the World Cup provides massive global reach. Supporting one of the world's most popular athletic events with high-quality products made in or by China is a good way to present China to the world.

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon

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