2025 Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao College Football Championship kicks off

On October 12, the "Huafa Cup" 2025 Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao College Football Championship officially opened at the Zhuhai Soka Sports Training Base. A total of nine college football teams from Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai participated in the competition, jointly launching a grand event for youth sports exchange in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao College Football Championship Zhuhai Division Selection Competition kicked off on September 17, attracting the participation of 7 universities including Sun Yat-sen University, Jinan University, Beijing Normal University Zhuhai Campus, Beijing Normal University Hong Kong Baptist University, Zhuhai City Vocational and Technical College, Zhuhai Institute of Science and Technology, and Zunyi Medical University Zhuhai Campus. After three consecutive weeks, 4 rounds of 11 group matches and knockout rounds, Beijing Normal University Hong Kong Baptist University, Zhuhai City Vocational and Technical College, and Zhuhai Institute of Science and Technology won the top three in the Zhuhai Division and jointly represented Zhuhai in this Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao College Championship.

This competition is an important platform to serve the national strategy of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and promote the cultural integration of the three places. It takes advantage of the opportunity of the 15th National Games to be jointly organized by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, and forms an integrated linkage with the road cycling project with the "Century Project" Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge as the track. It is an innovative practice to promote the integrated development of regional connectivity and cultural, sports and tourism. In addition, as a key cooperation project launched at the first Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao University Science and Technology Achievements Investment and Trading Conference, the event will also comprehensively demonstrate the high-spirited and enterprising spirit of young people from the three places and provide them with a stage for exchanges, interactions and friendship.

At the opening ceremony that day, guests from Hong Kong, Zhuhai, and Macau kicked off the game together, symbolizing the unity and progress of the three places. Subsequently, the first round of the group stage of the finals started at the same time in three venues:

In Soka No. 1, City University of Hong Kong and Macau University of Science and Technology in Group A staged a wonderful "Hong Kong-Macau Derby". The two sides switched quickly between offense and defense, and fiercely competed for the qualifying spots in the group. In the end, City University of Hong Kong won 5:0.

In Soka Court No. 2, the Zhuhai Division champion of Group B, Beijing Normal University, and the University of Hong Kong, a traditional strong school in Hong Kong, met on a narrow road. The game became intense from the beginning. The game ended in a 1:1 draw and entered a penalty shootout. The goalkeeper of UIC saved many key shots and finally won with a penalty kick score of 4:2.

In Soka Court No. 3, the University of Macau in Group C started the "Macau-Zhuhai Showdown" with Zhuhai City Vocational and Technical College, the runner-up in the Zhuhai Division. During the game, the University of Macau showed an overwhelming advantage. It flourished on the offensive end and firmly restricted its opponents on the defensive end. In the end, it won with a disparity of 9:0.

According to the schedule, the first stage of the finals will include three rounds of group rounds. The qualifying teams will participate in the second stage knockout rounds in January 2026 to determine the overall champion. According to reports, during the five-month competition period, the organizers will also organize live broadcasts of key events, the "Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao Showcase!" short video contest for college students, and the "Come on Hong Kong, Zhuhai, and Macao!" football carnival on the final day and other colorful online and offline activities to attract the participation of college students and citizens of the Greater Bay Area.

It is reported that the 2025 Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao College Football Championship is jointly sponsored by the Zhuhai Municipal Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau, Zhuhai Municipal Education Bureau, Zhuhai Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Bureau, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Civil Affairs and Youth Affairs Bureau, Macao Special Administrative Region Government Education and Youth Development Bureau, and Zhuhai Huafa Group Co., Ltd. Based on last year's Zhuhai-Macao University Football Tournament, this year's event has been upgraded and expanded to include Hong Kong, Zhuhai, and Macau. It is committed to creating an influential regional college sports event brand, becoming a bridge connecting the youth of the three places, and continuing to promote the in-depth integration and exchange of youth in the Greater Bay Area.

Article|Reporter Qian Yu