Aim, shoot, goal! Sun Chenxi secured a win for his team with a penalty goal at the 17th Zhejiang Games. A month later, he turned 13.

Soccer came as a fortunate accident in this young boy's life. Chenxi was often sick when he was little and had to be taken to hospital many times. His father Sun Shoudong decided to play soccer with him so that they could get fit together.

"As we played, I noticed his moves were quite good," Shoudong said. "Then slowly we got more serious with it."

Chenxi's father and coaches are experts at making training fun. His father religiously makes short videos of his progress and posts them on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok. Videos showing Chenxi juggling anything in the shape of a ball are particularly popular. 

From as big as a yoga ball to as small as a tennis ball, Chenxi can juggle them on his foot and head. By the age of 6, he could already juggle a soccer ball for one hour straight, sometimes as many as 2,000 bounces.

For this reason, Chenxi won himself a fan base. Many started to call him "Messi of Ningbo" – a reference to the revered soccer star Lionel Messi and to Chenxi's hometown of Ningbo. Surprisingly, Chenxi wasn't thrilled by this praise: "I'm not Messi, I am Chenxi."

He works hard to try and prove his own place at this sport. Chenxi's home province of Zhejiang is another positive contributing factor in his soccer journey. According to a 2019 report by China Daily, the eastern province is building its reputation as a sporting hub with huge investments in facilities for local communities. 

Zhejiang has soccer clubs for different age groups, and Chenxi has been in such clubs throughout his schooling. Training is five days a week, two hours per day, and he never misses sessions.

In addition, he still trains and plays with his father. "Speed and strength are not my best assets, so I want to keep up with daily running routines." 

"I never considered myself a prodigy. All the goals I achieved came with hard work," Chenxi said with a smile as sweat rolled down his his forehead.

Chenxi's coach Xu Haifeng describes him as the "soul of the team." "Chenxi's skills are well-rounded. His spirit moves the whole team." The coach's face remains calm and strict.

As Chenxi progresses in his craft, he moves from No. 7 to No. 10, a more essential role in the team. "Soccer is not just a one-player game, it requires team effort." Chenxi bears in mind his coach's words.

Thinking about the future, Chenxi's father is rather modest. "I just want him to be happy. I'm not thinking about how big his achievements should be. I just hope his future can represent how hard he works today."

But Chenxi's online fans are far more hopeful. Many of them think that Chenxi is destined to be a part of China's future golden generation of soccer.

For the young talent himself, he is "the happiest when he plays soccer." And again, "I'm not Messi, I am Chenxi, and I hope to lead China to the World Cup."