Chinese Football Association confirms Bundesliga Dream squad for elite football development camp

"Bundesliga Dream" written in chinese letters: The second iteration of the initiative will give 23 chinese players under the age of 16 the chance to train and play at the youth academies of VfL Wolfsburg and Borussia Mönchengladbach.

The CFA will bring 23 players from their U-16 national team squad to Germany for the three-week training camp
Bundesliga clubs VfL Wolfsburg and Borussia Mönchengladbach will host the youth squad
As well as training and playing competitive friendly matches, the team will experience how talented players develop on and off the pitch as part of elite German youth academies

19 March 2025 – The Chinese Football Association (CFA) today confirmed the U16 squad for the second edition of ‘Bundesliga Dream China’, which is set to take place from 27 March – 18 April.

The second iteration of the initiative will give the 23-man squad an unrivalled opportunity to train and play at the youth academies of Bundesliga clubs VfL Wolfsburg and Borussia Mönchengladbach. Throughout the visit, the players will follow a set training plan, curated by the DFL, the CFA, and the participating clubs. They will train and play competitive friendly matches against academies throughout Germany and, following the two-week programme, two players may be selected for an additional week of integrated training with one of the club’s youth team.

A documentary crew will follow the squad, producing a series for football fans in China. The five-episode series, as well as the friendly matches against Wolfsburg and Gladbach, will be presented by the Bundesliga’s Chinese broadcast partner Migu, and also distributed via Bundesliga, CFA and club channels, and shared across multiple social media platforms, including Bilibili andWeibo and Douyin.

In November 2024, CFA President Song Kai visited Germany – his first trip to Europe following his election – where he met with a delegation from the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga, including CEO Marc Lenz and Bundesliga International Managing Director and CMO Peer Naubert, where it was announced that the Bundesliga Dream project would continue.

Bundesliga International Managing Director and DFL Chief Marketing Officer Peer Naubert said: “Following a successful first edition of Bundesliga Dream with the CFA last season, we were delighted to see that the China U16 side went on to qualify for the AFC U17 Asian Cup, where eight members of the Bundesliga Dream squad were involved in this successful qualification. Furthermore, five played a key role and contributed a total of seven goals and seven assists. This is a clear indication that the project is delivering tangible benefits to players and coaches, as they continue their footballing education, as well as their off-field development.

“Our long-term ambition is to support the development of football in China, and create a successful pathway for players to make it in the Bundesliga. We are proud to share that vision and be working collaboratively with the CFA, and we are excited for the future of Chinese football.”

Our long-term ambition is to support the development of football in China, and create a successful pathway for players to make it in the Bundesliga.
Peer Naubert, Managing Director and Chief Marketing Officer Bundesliga International

CFA President Song Kai said: “The first edition of Bundesliga Dream received positive feedback from Chinese fans and the Chinese Football Association, and both the players and the coaching team gained a lot. We are very grateful to the German Football League for its efforts for Chinese football, and we are also very pleased to have such a far-sighted partner. The development of youth training for Chinese football should learn from excellent international football organisations. We should strive to create conditions for young players to go out and participate in more high-level competitions, exchanges and training. In addition to improving personal abilities, more importantly, it also broadens their horizons. It is a great opportunity for this year’s U16 national youth players and coaching staff, and I have no doubt that they will work hard, improve their abilities, and return with results.”

The first edition of Bundesliga Dream China took place in February and March 2024, where a group of 20 talented U16 players came from China to Germany, spending three weeks training and playing against the respective youth teams of clubs Borussia Mönchengladbach, VfB Stuttgart and Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Following the trip, eight members of the Bundesliga Dream squad were selected for the U16 national team’s remaining qualification games for the 2025 AFC U17 Asian Cup. Across the qualification process, seven goals and seven assists were made by players involved in the Bundesliga Dream project.

Both Wolfsburg and Borussia Mönchengladbach are extremely active in China. Wolfsburg is one of five Bundesliga clubs to have a permanent office in China, while Gladbach runs a year-round football academy in Shanghai. Within the current Wolfsburg U16 squad is Chinese youth player Eric Jiang (Jiang Jingqi), who will play against his peers, as well as feature in the documentary. As a league, the Bundesliga and its clubs have more offices in China than any other European football organisation, reaffirming its commitment to growing the sport by working directly with partners and organisations on the ground.