China National Team Announces New Squad: Six Players Born After 2005 Selected for the First Time as Youth Trial Begins

To prepare for the Chongqing International Football Invitational Tournament, which will be held from September 24 to October 6, the national football team recently announced its latest 30-player training squad. The tournament falls during a FIFA international match window, and head coach Shao Jiayi hopes to use the Chinese Super League break to bring in more young players for evaluation, building a talent pool for next January's Asian Cup.

However, because the Nagoya Asian Games will also be held in September, Antonio has already selected a 23-player Asian Games squad consisting of U23 players and three over-age players, leaving Shao Jiayi with a relatively limited pool of young players to choose from. Fortunately, Chinese Super League clubs have actively given young players starting roles this season, bringing many impressive newcomers into the league.

Affected by the large number of U23 national team players heading to the Asian Games, Shao Jiayi was forced to turn his attention to even younger players. The six players born after 2005 selected this time, including Bunyamin, Wang Gengrui, Yang Mingrui, Du Yuezhen, Zhao Songyuan and Zhang Aihui, are all receiving their first national team call-ups. Notably, 1.94-meter center forward Zhao Songyuan was born in 2009 and is currently only 17 years old. He is also a student at Tsinghua High School.

Although Zhao Songyuan has not yet appeared in a professional league match, his outstanding performances for the U17 national youth team earned Shao Jiayi's recognition, leading to his surprise selection for this China national team training camp. Wang Gengrui, also born in 2008, has made 23 appearances for Qingdao West Coast this season and became a regular starter with his consistent performances.

Bunyamin, who is the same age as Wang Gengrui, moved from Evergrande Football School to Yunnan Yukun this season and has impressed in the Chinese Super League. As a right winger, he possesses exceptional speed, strong dribbling ability and good finishing instincts in front of goal. This season, he has played 20 matches for Yunnan Yukun, scoring five goals and providing four assists, making him a leading candidate for the Chinese Super League Best Young Player award with his excellent form.

In addition, Yang Mingrui and Du Yuezhen have also shown considerable potential in attack. This energetic young squad is expected to create a youthful wave within the national team. Although these youngsters lack experience in major international competitions, they will have the opportunity to gain match experience and develop quickly through a high-level international invitational tournament.

According to reports, during the FIFA international match window, the China national team will play four warm-up matches at Chongqing Longxing Football Stadium in the Chongqing International Football Invitational Tournament, with opponents including Palestine, New Zealand, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. Among them, Oceania champions New Zealand participated in the 2026 World Cup and are stronger overall than China; meanwhile, Palestine and Tajikistan are also participants in next year's Asian Cup and should not be underestimated. Therefore, this represents a valuable opportunity for China to gain experience. After injecting fresh young talent into the squad, fans hope the national team can display an exciting style and bring more passion on the pitch.