More than 5,000 spectators gathered at Hongkou Football Stadium on the evening of June 23 as the 2026 Shanghai Subdistrict and Township Football Super League, the city's largest and most inclusive amateur football competition, officially kicked off amid growing excitement surrounding the FIFA World Cup.
The tournament, known as the "Street Super League," is Shanghai's first top-tier amateur football competition organized around street and township teams.
Covering all 16 districts and 218 subdistricts and towns across the city, the league is expected to feature more than 600 matches over the course of the year, making it the largest social football event in Shanghai's history in both scale and participation.
Zhou Yaming, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai Municipal Government, declared the competition open.
Xu Bin, director of the Shanghai Administration of Sports, presented commemorative plaques to Shanghai singer-songwriter Hu Yanbin, who serves as the event's special promotional ambassador, and football stars Wu Lei, Wu Xi and Zhao Lina, who were named promotional ambassadors for the tournament.
The ceremony opened with Hu performing his song "Welcome to Shanghai."
A parade featuring representatives from all 16 districts followed, led by district cheer ambassadors carrying the flags of the participating subdistrict and township teams. A total of 218 team flags were displayed, representing every competing community across Shanghai.
Hongkou's delegation, led by Shui Qingxia, president of the Hongkou District Football Association and the district's official cheer ambassador, entered the stadium carrying the district flag as spectators filled the stadium with applause and cheers.
International referee Wang Di delivered the officials' oath, while Zhao Xiaoyu of Hongkou's Guangzhong Subdistrict team took the athletes' oath on behalf of all players.
The opening festivities concluded with an exhibition match between the Jiangwan Old Boys Team and the Shuidian Road Ladies Team.
The men's squad was made up primarily of retired Shanghai Shenhua players from the 1990s, while the women's team featured former members of the Shanghai women's football team from the same era. Their return to the pitch paid tribute to the city's football heritage.
Shui said the tournament's primary goal is to encourage public participation rather than focus solely on competitive results.
"As Hongkou's cheer ambassador, I hope our street and township teams perform well," she said.
"Results are not the most important thing. What matters is that people who love football can enjoy the sport, more residents become involved, and local communities use the tournament to showcase their culture and strengthen community bonds."
Having observed Hongkou's neighborhood qualifying tournaments and community leagues, Shui said she was impressed by the enthusiasm and inclusiveness of local grassroots football.
"Community football in Hongkou brings together college students as well as enthusiasts in their forties," she said. "As long as people love football, they have the opportunity to play on community pitches across the district. Running hard and enjoying the game is what matters most."
She also cautioned against placing excessive competitive pressure on the Hongkou team.
"Grassroots football should develop step by step," Shui said. "The priority is attracting more residents onto the field and gradually finding the most suitable competition model. If the Street Super League can inspire more young people to play football, its impact will be much more lasting."
As the host district for the opening ceremony, Hongkou introduced a series of consumer promotions linked to the tournament.
Ticket holders can enjoy special discounts at dozens of restaurants, retail stores and entertainment venues in four major commercial complexes: Hongkou Plaza, Life Hub @ Bund Central, Hall of the Sun at Ruihong Xintiandi and Bailian Quyang Shopping Center.
District officials said Hongkou will use the Street Super League as an opportunity to further integrate sports with culture, commerce, tourism and exhibitions.
By leveraging the tournament's popularity, the district aims to stimulate local consumption while promoting Hongkou's long-standing football culture and bringing high-level grassroots football closer to local communities.