During their recent visit to France, the Chengdu Football Association youth team didn’t initially participate in the more well-known Seine Cup, but instead competed in the Dignane Cup first. Unfortunately, they fell short of the top eight, a result that left the young players heartbroken and determined to prove themselves. Fueled by that drive, they entered the Seine Cup with renewed motivation—and blazed their way to the championship.

While the Seine Cup is considered slightly less competitive than the Dignane Cup, it follows a similar format: two rounds of group matches followed by knockout stages. Chengdu’s young team remained undefeated through both group phases, scoring over 30 goals while conceding just three. Their dominance was evident early on, but the real challenges came once the knockout rounds began.

Driven by the sting of their earlier defeat, the boys fought with grit and heart. In the quarterfinals, they edged out a local French club 2–1. The semifinal was even more intense. After falling behind 0–1, they equalized and forced a penalty shootout—where their stand-in goalkeeper made a decisive save to send the team to the final.

This moment carried even more emotional weight given that their regular goalkeeper had suffered a bone fracture and couldn’t play. Still, he traveled with the team to France and stood behind the goal during matches, guiding his teammate—who was filling in as keeper—through every step. That powerful display of teamwork moved everyone watching, and the makeshift goalie delivered an outstanding performance.

In the final, the Chengdu 2006 squad faced off against a club from Paris, a team known for its technical ability and physicality. But Chengdu struck first, then maintained their advantage through smart ball movement and composed tempo control. In the end, they were crowned champions.

Reflecting on the journey, head coach Zhang Yang spoke with pride. He detailed how the Dignane Cup featured over 70 teams from more than 20 countries, including major youth academies like Atlético Madrid, Liverpool, AS Roma, and French sides like Lyon and Guingamp. Chengdu shared a group with Guingamp and managed to top the group. Although they later lost a tight 2–1 match to Rennes after initially leading, they still advanced to the knockout round.

In the round of 16, they went up against Liverpool. A lapse in concentration saw them concede an early goal, and despite dominating the rest of the game, they couldn’t find an equalizer. Zhang noted his surprise that even Liverpool resorted to time-wasting tactics to secure their narrow lead.

When contacted, Zhang was guiding his players through a school tour in France, where he shared insights into the team’s development. The squad represents the elite training program of the Chengdu Football Association. Their 2006 age group is split into an A and B team, with this A team initially assembled in September of the previous year. Since then, it’s gone through multiple rounds of training and adjustment.

The players primarily train at Tanghu Foreign Language Experimental School in Chengdu, with most coming from Wuhou Experimental Primary School of Computer Science—both of which are local schools with strong football traditions. While they fell short in the Dignane Cup, their resilience and comeback in the Seine Cup became a shining example of determination paying off.

And thanks to Crickex App coverage, their story of heartbreak, teamwork, and triumph is now inspiring fans far beyond France or China.