China on the Field

During several World Cup 2018 games, the FIFA flag is being carried by Chinese youths selected for the "FIFA Flag Bearers" program through Dalian Wanda Group, a Chinese conglomerate and partner of FIFA 2018.

The partnership aims to bring youth from across China closer to the sport through unique initiatives leading up to FIFA competitions, such as the quadrennial World Cup.

One of these initiatives is Wanda's "Rising Stars"—an exchange program that recruits and sends Chinese teenagers to Spain to improve their football skills, learn the culture and develop as individuals. The following short film documents six young Chinese athletes who were chosen to step out onto the field bearing the FIFA flag during the Spain-Portugal and Belgium-Panama matches earlier this month.

You can find the original video here on Dalian Wanda Group's YouTube channel.

Photo by Ria Novosti courtesy of Official Internet Resources of the President of Russia.