In March 2025, Hangzhou will not only embrace its most beautiful season but also host a major football event.

On Dec 23, the Chinese Football Association announced that Hangzhou has been selected as the host city for the home matches in the third phase of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, scheduled on March 25, 2025. The match will be held at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium.

This means that Hangzhou football fans will finally realize their dream of watching the national team play at their doorstep in just three months.

The Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium, soon to be the new home ground for the Chinese national football team, is also known as the "Big Lotus." Located nearby the Qiantang River in Binjiang district, Hangzhou, the stadium is modeled after a lotus flower. It served as the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies and athletics competitions during the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou.

According to the announcement, the bidding process for hosting the World Cup qualifiers began earlier and received enthusiastic responses from cities across the country. A total of 11 cities, including Changchun, Changsha, Chongqing, Guiyang, Haikou, Hangzhou, Jinan, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Wenzhou and Xi'an, submitted bids to host the March home matches.

Regarding the question, "Why choose Hangzhou?" the Chinese Football Association clarified in its statement:

Considering the weather conditions, northern cities have relatively low temperatures in March, which are not conducive to the teams' preparation and fans' experience. The national team suggested selecting a southern city with a more favorable climate as the home venue. To maximize the fans' experience and create a vibrant home atmosphere, the Chinese Football Association prioritized stadiums with larger seating capacities for the World Cup qualifiers.

From a hardware perspective, the "Big Lotus", as the second-largest stadium in China after the "Bird's Nest", has 80,800 fixed seats.