China: CNFL rolls through another season of growth in 2026

With more than 50 teams spread across China and the three-time defending champion Shanghai Warriors back chasing another title, the Chinese National Football League is well into a 2026 season that shows just how far American football has come in the country.

The CNFL, also known as the Huamei American Football League, began with just eight teams in 2013. Thirteen years later, the amateur tackle league stretches across China, with regional competition and A and B groups bringing together established clubs and newer programs still working their way up the ladder.

Warriors remain the team to chase

The Warriors entered 2026 with everybody chasing them.

Shanghai became the first team in CNFL history to win three consecutive championships and opened its latest title defense June 13 at Jiangwan Stadium against the newly promoted Ningbo Battleships.

The defending champions quickly showed the newcomers what life in the A group looks like, rolling to a 28-0 victory.

For the Battleships, reaching that game was an achievement in itself. The club began as a four-player training group in 2018, entered CNFL national competition in 2024 and earned promotion from the B group for 2026.

Now Ningbo is testing itself against the league’s top teams.

Competition stretches across China

The season has been unfolding far beyond Shanghai.

In the south, the Shenzhen Buffaloes and Hong Kong Warhawks were among the teams getting their campaigns underway in June, while clubs from Beijing, Chengdu, Xi’an and numerous other cities have continued a schedule that stretches across the country.

The Chengdu Pandaman, for example, faced the Xi’an Panthers in their final regular-season game, with heavy rain arriving during the second half.

The size of the CNFL is particularly striking considering that it remains an amateur league. Players train and compete while balancing football with work, school and family life.

What began as a small collection of teams has developed into a national competition encompassing more than 50 clubs.

More ways to follow the CNFL

The league has also taken steps to make the CNFL easier to follow.

Its official app provides schedules, scores, player information and team information, while the CNFL has established an official presence on Bilibili, one of China’s largest video platforms.

The league posted the complete 2025 championship game there and has continued adding 2026 material, while individual teams also use Chinese social media and video platforms to promote their games.

That growing digital footprint could eventually make CNFL football much more accessible outside China as well.

There is still plenty of football left to play in 2026, and the biggest question remains the same one the league faced when the season began:

Can anybody finally knock the Shanghai Warriors off the top?