Meizhou Hakka

Meizhou Hakka Football Club (in Traditional Chinese, 梅州客家足球俱樂部; in Simplified Chinese, 梅州客家足球俱乐部; pinyin, Méizhōu Kèjiā Zúqiú Jùlèbù) is a professional football club located in Wuhua County, Guangdong province, China. It was founded in January 2013 and currently competes in the Chinese Super League, after a series of promotions and administrative relegations that have marked its recent history.

The club is historically significant as the first county-level team in the history of China to be promoted to the Super League, which represents a milestone for football in the rural and inland areas of the country. Its identity is deeply tied to the Hakka ethnic group, a cultural group with its own language and traditions within the Chinese community, from which the club takes its name and its fan base. Meizhou is also known as the "cradle of football" in China, which gives the club a special mystique based on local tradition.

Since its foundation, the club has experienced a trajectory of sustained growth. After being crowned China League Two champion in 2015, it established itself in the second tier until achieving historic promotion to the Super League in 2021. In its debut season among the elite in 2022, it surprised by finishing in ninth position. However, the following years were turbulent: after a sporting relegation at the end of 2024, the club was reinstated in the Super League in January 2025 to fill administrative vacancies. In the 2025 season, despite its efforts, the team was relegated again to China League One, beginning a new stage under the technical direction of the Italian Gino Lettieri in January 2026.

Meizhou Hakka plays its home matches at the Huitang Stadium, a modern facility that reflects the importance of football in the region. The club has the financial backing of the Meizhou municipal government and of the real estate company Wei Real Estate Development, maintaining a mixed ownership structure in pursuit of sustainability in a constantly changing football market.