Liu Chang, 34, was part of the commentary team assembled by the lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, culminating in her assignment to the final. During the tournament, matches in China began in the early morning hours, requiring commentators to arrive at studios around midnight and work until after 5 a.m., often sleeping only two or three hours a day before preparing for the next match.
As her profile rose, Liu faced persistent criticism on social media about her voice being "shrill" or "overly emotional" and about audiences not being accustomed to female commentators. She responded by adjusting her vocal technique, shifting from head resonance to chest resonance to produce a deeper, fuller tone, and by using professional methods to control pitch during high-emotion moments.
Liu notes a double standard in how female commentators are judged: visible emotion or perceived bias is more quickly attributed to a lack of professionalism than for male counterparts. She and colleague Wu Tong prioritize accuracy and impartiality, which some viewers have acknowledged as even-keeled.
Public perception has shifted in recent years as Chinese fans engage with football through travel, social media, and highlight creation, moving beyond passive viewing. Liu says this evolution demands commentators who connect with audiences on their wavelength, incorporating internet culture and memes rather than projecting distant authority.
Liu's path to the World Cup began with the 2010 tournament in South Africa, which sparked her connection to a community of Spanish national team fans in China. After graduating from Communication University of China, she worked for nine years at CCTV-7, focused on agriculture and military affairs, before leaving in 2017 to join Tencent's football media division despite family reservations.
Her first commentary assignment came by accident during a Premier League match between Chelsea and Everton when a scheduled commentator failed to appear. Though her commentary from that debut was later cut from the recording, the experience gave her confidence. She moved to PP Sports in 2019, where she covered hundreds of matches across competition levels, adhering to a philosophy that every game deserves equal preparation.
Among her most memorable broadcasts was Karim Benzema's final match for Real Madrid on June 4, 2023. Learning of his departure shortly before kickoff, Liu quoted lyrics from Tanya Chua's "Da Er Wen" as the camera lingered on Benzema, creating an unrepeatable moment. At the 2026 World Cup, she was most struck by Cabo Verde's Round of 32 performance against defending champion Argentina, where the underdogs pushed the match to extra time and galvanized Chinese viewers.
Liu describes the commentary box as a creative space where storytelling meets football's unpredictability. Her guiding lesson from the sport is that nothing is decided until the final whistle, a perspective she applies to life beyond broadcasting.
Game Changers: China’s Female Football Commentators Take Their Shot
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