China-Serbia Youth Football Tournament opens in eastern Serbia

The 2026 China-Serbia Youth Football Tournament opened on Thursday in Bor, a city in eastern Serbia, bringing together 12 U-11 teams for a competition running through August 10.

Eleven youth teams from Serbia and the U-11 squad of China's Chongqing Tonglianglong Football Club, the only Chinese side and a special invitee, are taking part, with around 200 young players competing.

The 12 teams are split into three groups for a round-robin stage, with the knockout matches and the final set for August 10.

Ratko Nikolic, state secretary of Serbia's Ministry of Sports, attended the opening ceremony. He said the event had gathered a large number of young players and built a valuable platform for youth football exchanges between Serbia and China. Sport at this age is about participation and growth, he added, and children should be encouraged to enjoy football and develop a love for the game through such exchanges.

In its opening group match on Thursday, Chongqing Tonglianglong beat Serbia's FK Hajduk Veljko 6-0.

Shen Tianfeng, the Chongqing team's head coach, said facing Europe's teams had helped his players gain experience in technique, tactics and physical play, while giving them a clear sense of where to improve.

Football is a common language that transcends words, Shen said, adding that through the matches the young players of both countries deepen mutual understanding and friendship, building a bridge for the people-to-people ties between China and Serbia.