Chinese Youth Football Elite League (Division U21)

CFA U21 League

Current season, competition or edition: 2025 season
Classification	Youth development league
Sport	Association football
Founded	2014
Founder	Chinese Football Association
No. of teams	19 (2025 season)
Country	China
Confederation	AFC
Most recent champion	Wuhan Three Towns (2024)
Level on pyramid	U21 Echelon

The CFA U21 League is an under-21 echelon competition organized by the Chinese Football Association (CFA). Established in 2014, it serves as a high-level competition platform for young Chinese players and a crucial talent pipeline for Chinese football. Starting from 2025, the league has been integrated into the China Football Youth Elite League as part of a broader restructuring of China's youth football competition system. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]}

History

Early Years (2014–2020)

The U21 League was founded by the Chinese Football Association in 2014. Its primary objectives were to provide competitive playing opportunities for young players from professional clubs and to identify and develop talent for the national team. The initial scale of the competition was relatively small, primarily involving the U21 echelons of professional clubs. ^[2]

Reform and Development (2021–2024)

The league was restarted in 2021 after a hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Significant reforms were implemented for the 2022 season, leading to improvements in the competition structure. A major incentive was introduced in the 2023 season: the champion and runner-up of the U21 League earned direct promotion to the following season's China League Two (the third tier of Chinese football), which significantly enhanced the league's competitiveness and appeal. ^{[2] [4]}

Integration and Improvement (2025–present)

On April 30, 2025, the China Football Professional League Federation officially announced the integration of U21, U17, and U15 echelon events under the unified banner of the "China Football Youth Elite League". The U21 League became a core component of this new structure, marking a significant step in the further development of China's youth football competition system. ^{[2] [5]}

Competition Format

The tournament format combines knockout and double round-robin stages, culminating in a total of 312 matches per season.

The league is structured in four main phases:

• Group Stage: Held in mid-to-late April, played in a home-and-away format.
• Preliminary Stage: Takes place in mid-to-early May, mid-to-early July, and mid-August.
• Promotion Stage: Held in mid-to-late September.
• Final Stage: Scheduled from late November to early December. ^[6]

Eligibility and Registration

• Participation is mandatory for Chinese Super League clubs. Chinese League A and Chinese League B clubs are eligible to enter teams.
• A club's B team that has already qualified for China League Two may voluntarily choose to register.
• Each team must register a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 30 players at the start of the season, including at least two goalkeepers.
• The core playing squad consists of players born between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2005.
• A maximum of 2 overage players (born 2002–2003) and a maximum of 15 younger players (born 2006–2008) can be registered.
• Foreign players, non-Chinese naturalized players, and players from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan are not permitted to register.
• During matches, no more than 3 overage players are allowed on the field simultaneously. ^{[1] [7] [8]}

Promotion Policy

In the 2024 season the champion and runner-up of the U21 League obtain qualification to compete in the following season's China League Two, providing a direct pathway for young players to enter the professional league pyramid. ^{[9] [10]}

Participating Teams (2025 Season)

A total of 19 teams are participating in the 2025 season: ^[11]

Chinese Super League Teams (12)

• Beijing Guoan U21
• Changchun Yatai U21
• Dalian InBev U21
• Henan U21
• Meizhou Hakka U21
• Qingdao Manatee U21
• Qingdao West Coast U21
• Shanghai Shenhua U21
• Shenzhen Xinpeng City U21
• Tianjin Jinmen Tigers U21
• Yunnan Yukun U21
• Zhejiang U21

China League One Teams (3)

• Shijiazhuang Kung Fu U21
• Ganzhou Ruishi U21
• Guangxi Pingguo U21

China League Two Teams (4)

• Jiangxi Lushan U21
• Qingdao Red Lions U21
• Kunming City Star U21
• Lanzhou Longyuan Athletic U21

Past Champions

Season	Champion	Runner-up	Third Place	Remarks
2021/22	Beijing Guoan	—	—	Won the championship with an undefeated record [12]
2023	Shandong Taishan	Shanghai Seaport	—	Champion and runner-up promoted to China League Two [13] [14]
2024	Wuhan Three Towns	Chengdu Rongcheng	Shanghai Shenhua	Champion and runner-up promoted
2025	Ongoing

Development and Impact

Talent Production

The league has become a vital talent pool for China's national youth teams. In the past two selection cycles, 14 players from the U21 League have been called up to the Chinese U19 national team, including notable prospects such as Liu Chengyu, Wang Yifan, and Wang Yudong. ^[15]

Future Reforms

According to reports, the professional echelon competition system is set for a major overhaul in the 2026 season. Plans are underway to merge the U21 League with the men's U19 group of the China Youth Championship to create a premier youth elite competition. This new structure is expected to adopt a weekend/weekly home-and-away match format to enhance game quality and player development. ^[16]

Recent Events

• November 12, 2025: The draw for the 2025 Chinese Champions League-U21 League play-offs was held in Beijing. The winners of these play-offs will secure the final spot for the 2026 China League Two season. ^[17]
• November 2025: Promising young player Wang Yudong is reportedly scheduled to join the Zhejiang U21 team for the final stage of the U21 League to aid their push for a high finish. ^{[18] [15]}
• The 2024 season highlighted a significant competitive gap, with lopsided results such as Shanghai Shenhua U21's 6–0 victory over Cangzhou Lions U21, while the bottom-placed team remained on single-digit points, sparking debate about competitive balance. ^{[19] [20]}

See also

• Chinese Football Association
• Chinese Super League
• China League One
• China League Two
• China Youth Football League
• Chinese football league system

References

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