Rooted in Culture, Winning with Passion – A Creative Journey for Football in China

Each jersey tells a distinct cultural story, while meeting the highest of production standards and are truly representative of our operating model: we are a global brand with a local mindset – Global scale provides the engine, local knowledge steers the wheel.

SUCHAO Emerges as China's Hottest Football League

Before the global football festivities at the World Cup kick off, Chinese fans have already seen the Trionda – our official FIFA World Cup match ball – in different, more local tournaments: The Jiangsu Football City League (JSCL, also known as “SUCHAO”), which generated over 2.2 billion online views last year.

Since April 2026, 13 amateur teams across Jiangsu Province have been competing in the contest again. Over seven months, the tournament stages more than 90 matches, drawing over 30,000 spectators per game and generating significant heat across Chinese mainstream media and social platforms. This makes the provincial league China’s most influential grassroots football event, offering us significant business value.

In partnership with adidas, the league entered a new chapter, combining local passion with global expertise. And adidas became a co-creator of the local football identity.

A Nearly Impossible Task

The partnership between adidas and SUCHAO was announced publicly at the beginning of 2026. From the very beginning, the project team behind the jerseys made a bold decision: They would not be using template jersey designs. Instead, they were determined to deliver products that authentically reflected the pride, history, and culture of the fans and players.

For many of those involved in the project – themselves members of adidas’s amateur football team – the project carried a personal sense of pride. “It’s a blessing to be able to design products related to something you love,” says Eson Huang, Senior Designer Outdoor Apparel and head of the SUCHAO design team.

That commitment was tested by an unconventional challenge. Stephanie Zhao, Senior Manager of Development Apparel, recalls receiving a call on the last day of December: “It is a race against time.”

“The first deliveries were due in mid-March, and the Spring Festival holiday in between. The actual working time was about two months,” remembers Alex Xu, Director of Greater China's Football Business Unit. The timeline stood in stark contrast to the typical 18‑month lead time for football projects.

Authenticity, Pride and Expertise in Every Detail

With no time to lose, the design team dived deeply into Jiangsu culture and worked closely with the 13 football teams. The team set a clear direction: the home kits should draw on each city’s culture and deep-rooted spirit, while the away kit should bring forward their individuality and bold expression.

Combined with adidas’ CLIMACOOL technology, the jerseys offer breathability and cooling to help players perform at their best while also looking stylish.

Eson Huang explains the design process as follows: “When the team visited the History Museum in Xuzhou, they saw scenes of ancient battles where the noble spirits of the warriors leapt out at us. Combining this with reference to Han dynasty treasures, Xuzhou’s bold aura as the birthplace of Han culture, and it's history as a city of emperors, we ultimately anchored the design direction for its away jersey.”

Equally important was the fact that the factory workers felt immense pride in contributing to their home countries’ most iconic football event, resulting in extraordinary commitment. Being able to use all the know-how from producing the World Cup jerseys, the Product Development team, along with experts from the factory, were eager to give it their all for their local teams.

We Promised, We Delivered

“Match jerseys, entrance jackets, cultural T-shirts… We’ve planned a variety of merchandise to resonate with fans. We’ve also fully considered consumer acceptance, making pricing more accessible. Every week during matches, we set up pop-up stores outside the stadium. We hope fans can feel our love and sincerity,” says Alex Xu.