A new dawn breaks for China on the world's youth pitches as the 12-year-old Meng Xinyi's winning spot-kick and celebratory backflip secured a historic triumph for the Chinese football young talents at the Italy's Sigismondi Cup, making the team the first Asian team to win the title in the tournament's more than 30-year history.
A few days later, when Meng returned to Nanjing Gulou No. 1 Central Primary School, he enjoyed thunderous welcome and salute from students and teachers.
"Thank you, teachers; thank you, parents; thanks to everyone who supported me. I will continue to work hard," said Meng, at the school's award ceremony for him.
This fervent enthusiasm of teachers and students stemmed from that thrilling victory.
The Italy International Youth Cup is known as the mini World Cup for the U12 age group, and the Chinese Football Talents 2014 Team was the only Asian team to participate.
After the two teams were tied 1-1 in regular time, the match went to penalties. After the first four rounds of penalty kicks, in the fifth round, Meng stepped up to take the penalty.
The ball flew straight into the top corner of the goal. Meng excitedly performed a backflip celebration, sending the entire stadium into a frenzy. During the awards ceremony, Meng Xinyi's eyes welled up with tears.
"My eyes welled up with tears. I didn't think about anything at the time. The five-star red flag was fluttering outside the stadium. Seeing that scene made me very happy and proud of myself," he said.
Meng Xinyi's football journey didn't begin on the football field, but at a martial arts school. His father had practiced martial arts, and his older brother had also studied it as a child.
Influenced by his family, Meng began practicing martial arts in kindergarten. But in first grade, he suddenly told his father that he was more interested in football, and his life took a different path from then on.
Meng started practicing martial arts in kindergarten and mastered the backflip at the age of six. In his last year of kindergarten, a game of football with his friends gave him his first taste of the joy of football.
"I saw a group of people playing football, but they weren't very good at it, just kicking it around randomly. I kicked it back and poked it with my toe, and I actually scored a goal. I thought it was quite interesting, so I came back and asked my dad if I could join in playing football," said Meng.
When Meng was a first grader, he was selected to join the school's football team and played a core role in the team. When he was in second grade, the coach of Nanjing Football Featured School, Gulou District No. 1 Central Primary School, took a liking to Meng Xinyi and suggested that he transfer to the school to receive formal training.
"The first time I saw him, I felt that this child was very special. He was very fast and had great explosive power. [Martial arts] developed his body coordination and agility at an early age, including some core strength, skills at pace and direction changes. He could quickly master some moves that would normally require a long time to practice," said Zhu Chao, coach of the school football team.
To gain a deeper understanding of football, Meng would write a football diary, noting his shortcomings and areas for improvement after every match.
His diligent training quickly paid off. In 2023, Meng was selected for the first batch of China's Young Football Players, traveling with the team to Japan, South Korea, Italy, Spain, and other countries for exchange matches.
In the 2026 "Governor's Cup" Jiangsu Youth Campus Football League, during the quarterfinals, Meng Xinyi's team fell behind three times and equalized the score three times. He fought until he was physically exhausted, but still didn't give up. In the end, Meng won the province's top scorer award with 17 goals.
Meng's success today is not only due to his own hard work, but also inseparable from the support of his family over the years.
"Currently, in a family, children's education is the top priority. Parents will definitely devote all their efforts to supporting their children by providing them with access to good educational resources," said Meng's mother Yu Fuzhen.
"I saw light in his eyes, the light that comes after playing football. If your child truly loves something, if they're sure about it, then give them your full support," said Meng's father Meng Qinghua.
Like other students who love football, Meng is also following the ongoing World Cup, and his future dream was simple but grand.
"I want to make it into the national team and become a key player. I hope I'll still be playing football 10 years from now," said Meng.
Grit, family support forge China football boy's stunning win on Italian pitch
