As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, traveling to North America to watch matches live remains a distant dream for many ordinary fans. Yet this dream is being fulfilled by the warmth and local strength of Qingdao. An invitation from FIFA President Gianni Infantino landed in the coastal city, turning "watching the World Cup at your fingertips" from concept into reality.
This year's World Cup has earned the first-ever "Sensory Inclusive" certification from KultureCity. With sign language interpretation, audio-descriptive commentary, haptic feedback devices, sensory rooms, and a full suite of accessible services, the vision of "football for everyone" is becoming a reality. Wang Rui and Sun Tao, two visually impaired fans from Qingdao, are beneficiaries. Having followed football for decades, they used to rely on others to narrate matches live. Now, with palm-mounted vibration devices, tackles, runs, and goals are all transformed into vibrations of varying frequencies, allowing them to experience the beautiful game immersively without using their eyes.
Behind this dream-fulfilling journey stands a Qingdao enterprise — Hisense. As a Chinese brand that has sponsored three consecutive World Cups, Hisense has taken up Infantino's public welfare invitation, partnering with non-profit organizations to provide free live match tickets to sensory needs families in all 16 host cities, while introducing haptic feedback devices into the stadiums. In 2025, Hisense's overseas revenue exceeded RMB 110.7 billion, ranking first in TV market share in five countries. It is this tangible strength that enables Hisense to fulfill the dreams of niche fans on the World Cup stage.
The ultimate charm of football lies in its willingness to embrace all ordinary people who carry a passion for the game. Wang Rui and Sun Tao's World Cup journey teaches us that the ultimate purpose of technological progress is to break down barriers in life, and the higher value of global expansion is to deliver "Chinese warmth" to every corner of the world. With football as a bridge and love as the name — Qingdao, its enterprises, and its fans are heading out into the world together.
Editor: Ren Junfeng/ Zhang Yishuo
