Wu Lei named 2024 Chinese Men's Footballer of Year

HANGZHOU, China, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai Port forward Wu Lei was named 2024 Chinese Men's Footballer of the Year at a ceremony here on Thursday, marking the fifth time he has clinched the annual award.

Beating the other two nominees, Zhang Yuning and Xie Wenneng, Wu - who won the award in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2023 - scored a record-high 34 goals in the 2024 Chinese Super League (CSL) season and helped his club secure both the league and the CFA Cup trophies.

Wang Dalei, the Chinese men's national team captain, won the first-ever Chinese Goalkeeper of the Year award for leading his team into the final stage of World Cup Asian qualifiers.

Rising Chinese international Hu Hetao from Chengdu Rongcheng was honored as Chinese U21 Footballer of the Year, while his young club teammate Hebibilla Nurhaji won the Chinese U17 Footballer of the Year.

Forward Zhang Linyan, 24, was awarded back-to-back Women's Footballer of the Year honors as she helped Wuhan Jianghan secure its fifth consecutive Chinese Women's Super League title.

Leading the underdog Tianjin Jinmen Tigers to a sixth-place finish in the CSL last season, Yu Genwei was named the Chinese Football Coach of the Year.