GUIYANG - The fourth season of Village Super League (VSL), a grassroots soccer tournament originating in Rongjiang county in Southwest China's Guizhou province, kicked off Friday night with a match between Dali Village and Bawang Village.

This year's edition has expanded to 137 village teams, up from 62 in 2024 and 108 in 2025. The tournament first gained attention in 2023 when 20 local village teams competed between May and July.

The 2026 tournament will adopt a two-phase structure: a preliminary round from January 2 to April 19, followed by a knockout stage for the top 20 teams beginning in late April. The champion is scheduled to be crowned by late July after 98 matches.

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Over the past two years, the VSL has enabled Rongjiang to attract an average of over 9.88 million tourists annually, generating comprehensive tourism revenue exceeding 11.159 billion yuan (about $1.57 billion) each year.

The VSL has also evolved into a platform for international exchange, having attracted friendly matches with more than 40 teams comprising over 1,500 players from countries and regions such as France, Argentina and Brazil.