Chinese team has not played in tournament for 24 years, so supporters follow world’s two most famous players and a strict mainland official
The room was awash with Portuguese team jerseys, filled with fans sipping cold beer and soft drinks, proudly singing Portugal’s national anthem before their match against DR Congo.
“Hopefully, one day I can sing the Chinese national song in a World Cup stadium,” said Zhai Yibo, a 20-year-old Chinese student studying in London who was watching the game in Brooklyn.
Twenty-four years after its only World Cup appearance, the national team once again failed to qualify for this year’s showpiece, leaving fans to celebrate football’s biggest event while watching other countries compete.