'Historic Dark Age' for National Football Team → 'Massive 2.1 Billion Won Investment' in Naturalized Player Push... 'Brazilian Superstar' Declares "I Want to Play for China"

*This content was translated by AI.

China is poised to repeat its history of failed naturalization policies. Once again, Chinese football is tinkering with the non-bloodline naturalization card at astronomical costs.

Chinese media outlet 'Sohu.com' reported on the 1st (Korean time) that "the Chinese national team is preparing a new naturalized player," stating, "A 31-year-old Brazilian midfielder has expressed his desire to play for China. The cost of this player's naturalization is expected to exceed 10 million yuan (approximately 2.1 billion won)."

The player mentioned in the media is Nascário (31), a Brazilian-born midfielder currently playing for Henan FC in the Chinese Super League. Born in 1995, Nascário stands at 178cm and joined German club Hoffenheim in July 2013 before moving through the Polish league and Brazilian clubs Palmeiras and Chapecoense.

His skills have flourished in the Chinese league. Since joining Henan in 2024, Nascário has played 84 official matches, scoring 22 goals and providing 25 assists, establishing himself as a central pillar of the team. He led Henan to its first-ever cup final, and despite receiving a transfer offer worth 10 million euros (approximately 150 billion won) from a Saudi Arabian club, the club firmly rejected any possibility of his departure, reflecting his skyrocketing market value.

According to 'Sohu.com', Nascário publicly expressed his desire to join the national team in an interview with local Chinese media: "My personal wish is to one day play for the Chinese national team. Although regulations require two more years, I eagerly anticipate that day." Under FIFA rules, non-bloodline naturalization requires no prior A-match appearances for Team A and at least five consecutive years of residence in the country. Having set foot on Chinese soil in 2024, Nascário will only become eligible after two years, when he turns 33.

The issue lies in effectiveness and cost. In the past, China naturalized numerous South American players such as Elkeson, Alan, Aloisio, and Fernandinho, pouring massive sums into the process. However, this yielded disastrous results, including finishing last in Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian third-round qualifiers with just two wins and six losses in eight matches. Even under coach Branko Ivanković, who heavily relied on naturalized players like Serginho and Zhang Guangtai, the national team's dark period persisted.

In response, Chinese fans have launched fierce criticism, stating, "The essence of sports is competition, but it has been distorted into an industry," "Naturalized players have undermined football's connection to the people," "The presence of foreign players makes the national team's defeats even more shameful," and "Stop wasting money and disband the national team."

Despite public rejection, the Chinese football community is reconsidering naturalization because strengthening the squad for the next World Cup qualification is urgently needed.

However, significant hurdles remain. While not requiring astronomical sums in the tens of millions of euros as in the past, naturalizing Nascário would demand a minimum expenditure of over 10 million yuan by the Chinese Football Association and Henan FC. Additionally, with Nascário approaching age 33 in two years, it remains uncertain whether he can maintain his performance level at an advanced age.

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*This content was translated by AI.