The opening ceremony was enlivened by vibrant performances from the youth.

As the quadrennial European Cup commenced on June 15, Wenzhou’s very own “Ouzhou Cup” also opened its prologue a day later. On June 16, 2024, the opening ceremony of the Zhejiang Football Super League & Wenzhou First “Strong City Cup” Nationwide Football Series was inaugurated.

At 10 am on June 16, thousands of fans gathered at the Wenzhou Sports Center Stadium for the opening ceremony. The flags of the Zhejiang Football Super League, the Provincial Football Association, and the 17 participating club teams were the first to enter the stadium. Following them, representatives from the six categories of athletes in the nationwide football series made their entrance. The local college cheerleading team presented lively performances such as “Leaping Cheerleading - Football Dream” and “Youth Melody - My Dream with You and Me”.

To enhance the city through competitions, football leads the way. In this year’s eagerly awaited mass sports event, the “Strong City Cup” nationwide football series is open to football enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds in the city. It embodies the philosophy of “everyone has access to at least one thrilling football game every week”. The event integrates some of the traditional football tournaments in Wenzhou, revises some competition rules, fills in gaps in certain areas, and coordinates resources from various channels to create a comprehensive and cohesive effect.

The nationwide football series is expected to attract over 700 teams and 14,000 participants from across the city to compete in approximately 2,000 matches. It will run from June until the end of the year and will feature six categories: preschool group, youth group, college group, campus group, super group, and open group. The preschool group includes 3-a-side and 5-a-side matches, along with football drills and skills competitions. The youth group is divided into men’s and women’s divisions, each with A, B, and C levels. The college group encompasses undergraduate, vocational, women’s, and professional levels, all played with 11 players per team. The campus group is segmented into elementary school, junior high school, high school, and super levels. Elementary school teams play 5-a-side, junior high school teams play 8-a-side, and senior high school teams play 11-a-side. The super group includes the Great Beauty Wenzhou Cup, Wenzhou Football Super League, and Wenzhou League One, all played with 11 players per side. The open group will consist of 8 players per team.

Founded in 2016, the Zhejiang Football Super League is the  premier 11-a-side football tournament in the province, known for its significant impact and broad participation. This year, for the first time, the opening ceremony of the Super League was held in Wenzhou. The inaugural game saw the Wenzhou Dongfeng Ouyan team face off against the Lishui Kehan team. After a fierce 90-minute battle, the Wenzhou team suffered a regrettable 0:1 defeat.