According to a report by The Paper, the collaboration between the German Football League (DFL) and the Chinese Football Association on the "Bundesliga Dream" project recently kicked off in Shanghai, with the legendary German footballer Lothar Matthäus in attendance.

During his visit to China, Matthäus also watched the World Cup qualifying match between the Chinese national team and South Korea. He shared his observations, stating, "I watched the game, and from what I saw, this South Korean team is very strong. However, the Chinese team will have the opportunity to compete with South Korea, but not now. It will take 6-10 years for them to grow. They need good coaches, talented players, and a development path that is on the right track. In the future, there will be improvements."

Matthäus also noted the rapid progress in Asian football. "The intensity in Asia is improving very quickly. It seems that they are working harder than European teams to reach new levels, and the gap between the two is getting smaller." Reflecting on the past two World Cups where Germany lost to East Asian teams, Matthäus admitted that it was not entirely surprising. "We didn’t perform well, but Asian teams have indeed made significant improvements compared to the past."

In recent news, Lionel Messi won his eighth Ballon d'Or, a decision that was widely expected. However, Matthäus was one of the few in the football community who disagreed with the outcome. "Messi's performances over the past 20 years have proven that he is a great player, and I personally admire his skills. But there are some issues with the Ballon d'Or selection process. Messi did perform exceptionally well during the World Cup period, showing himself as the best in the world. However, the Ballon d'Or is supposed to evaluate performances over the entire year, not just one month," Matthäus explained. He maintained his position, expressing that he would have preferred the award to go to Erling Haaland.