China News Service, Rongjiang, Guizhou, October 1st. Question: Why did this Brazilian team go to the Guizhou "Village Super League" on the National Day in the third year?
China News Service reporter Yuan Chao
Early in the morning on October 1, Jiang Zuoxian, a self-media expert from Rongjiang County, Guizhou Province, took her mobile phone to the "Village Super League" football field to wait for her Brazilian friend. This is the third time that old friends have made an appointment with Rongjiang Village Supermarket.
On October 1, 2024, the first "Village Super League" international friendly match kicked off. The Brazilian Galaxy Football Team rushed to Rongjiang from afar. Jiang Zuoxian took many interesting clips of her interaction with the Brazilian players. One after another down-to-earth short videos swept the Internet, and a football friendship spanning mountains and seas also took root in the happy atmosphere. From then on, every October 1st, this group of football friends will return to Rongjiang as scheduled for a warm "Village Super League" appointment.
Seeing Jiang Zuoxian holding up his mobile phone, Brazilian player Pereira took the initiative to come over after playing football. Relying on a few simple English words and a series of vivid and exaggerated sign language gestures, Jiang Zuoxian invited Pereira to learn to sing Miao folk songs. She hummed slowly one sentence after another, and Pereira also imitated her words. Her awkward accent and serious expression were full of fun, making the villagers and tourists watching on the side laugh heartily...
Pereira, who lives in Brazil, known as the "Kingdom of Football", has been exposed to football since he was 4 years old. When he entered the "Village Super League", he expressed his intuitive feelings with shock. In Pereira's view, the most precious thing about the "Village Super League" is that it opens its doors and gives every ordinary person who loves football a stage to perform. "Football should have no strict thresholds. Players can run to their heart's content, the audience cheers enthusiastically, and everyone can enjoy the happiness brought by football."
"Although there are language differences, we come to the Village Super League just for fun." Jiang Zuoxian said with a smile. When she first tried to interact with Brazilian players, she was worried that poor communication would cause embarrassment, but after getting along several times, she realized that there was no need to worry. We sang folk songs and danced together, and all kinds of interesting stories happened one after another, without any feeling of strangeness between them.
On October 1, 2026, the third "Village Super League" International Friendly Match kicked off. Like Pereira, 551 players from countries in South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and other regions traveled thousands of miles to gather in Rongjiang County, the birthplace of China's "Village Super League", for a grassroots football event, using football as a link to start transnational cultural and sports exchanges.
Why do people in Rongjiang call Brazilian players "old friends"? Jiang Zuoxian believes that on the field, Brazilian players always go all out in every game, take every offense and defense seriously, and conquer all the fans present with their exquisite and skillful skills. Outside the competition field, they took the initiative to go into the streets and villages, immersed themselves in the daily fireworks of the people, and tasted the unique Rongjiang flavor barbecue with the local villagers. "Football has no borders, and sincerity is the most touching. They understand our lives attentively, and we sincerely accept them." Jiang Zuoxian said.
After three years of appointments, Brazilian players always encounter different national courtesy every time they set foot on the land of Rongjiang. Rongjiang County carefully arranges a differentiated welcome ceremony every year. The Dong people's melodious drinking songs, the Miao people's costumes with jingling silver ornaments to welcome guests, and the Shui people's simple and rich folk rituals take turns... In addition, there are also surprises on the green field. During the game, cultural performances with local charm are staged in turn. Football competition and national culture complement each other, which has become an unforgettable and unique memory in the hearts of the Brazilian team.
"I love the 'Village Super League' very much, and I will express my love every year." Brazilian player Kang Wei has come to the "Village Super League" for the third year. Now he is already familiar with everything here, from the warm-up walkway, the touch of the green field, to the introduction of delicious food to the team members who come to Rongjiang for the first time on the sidelines of the game... "This is not only a football stadium, but also the 'home' I miss every year."
Mentioned why he went to the "Village Supermarket" for an appointment three years ago? Coach Mattis said frankly that only when you truly enter the "Village Super League" will you find that what impresses the players most is not only the locals' love for football, but also the up-close atmosphere of the game. "Here, players don't have a sense of distance from above. After the game, they can walk into the streets and feel the simplicity of Rongjiang people's way of dealing with others."
