China will significantly boost its soccer potential in the coming years. China’s National Development and Reform Commission pledged in a plan released Monday that Chinese soccer is expected to be among the world’s leading teams by 2050.

VChina has unveiled a strategy to become a "world football superpower" by 2050, with plans to get 50 million children and adults playing the game by 2020. Other targets include having at least 20,000 football training centres and 70,000 pitches in place by 2020. While China excels at the Olympics and Paralympics, it has only ever qualified for one football World Cup, in 2002. President Xi Jinping is a football enthusiast and previously said he wants China to win the World Cup in 15 years. The plan was published by the Chinese Football Association (in Chinese) on Monday.