A file photo shows FIFA President Gianni Infantino giving his speech at the 73rd FIFA Congress held in Kigali, Rwanda, March 16, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

FIFA President Gianni Infantino praised China's efforts to develop youth football on Thursday, with both sides promising to collaborate to maximize the football potential in China.

Infantino was in Shanghai for a high-level meeting with government and sports officials, where he met with Zhang Jiasheng, deputy director of the General Administration of Sport of China, and Song Kai, President of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), on the second day of his visit to China.

"We discussed plans to work together to ensure more youngsters play and excel in our sport and how the FIFA Forward programme can further football development," Infantino said. "FIFA's increased youth tournaments reflect a shared commitment to grassroots development, and I was impressed by the progress made to tap into this beautiful country's massive football potential."

According to FIFA, the CFA launched a restructured National Youth Super League (NYSL) with support from FIFA Forward in 2019 to give young players a chance to play competitively on a weekly basis.

FIFA Forward also funds the organization of the CFA Cup competition, which features teams from the top three divisions of the Chinese league system plus some amateur sides, over three seasons starting in 2024.

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