Shanghai Port just won’t quit. Honestly, if you’ve been following the China Super League standings lately, it feels like a bit of a "Groundhog Day" situation at the very top. They just locked up their third consecutive title in late 2025, and as we sit here in January 2026, the rest of the league is basically scratching its head wondering how to break the Pudong-based powerhouse.
But looking at the final table isn't just about who got the trophy. It's about the absolute chaos that happened everywhere else.
Shanghai Port finished with 66 points. Right behind them? Their neighbors, Shanghai Shenhua, at 64. A two-point gap. That’s one missed penalty or a bad offside call away from a different champion. It's tight. It’s stressful. And for the fans in Shanghai, it’s basically been a year-long heart attack.
The Numbers That Actually Matter Right Now
People obsess over the "W-D-L" columns, but the real story of the China Super League standings is in the goal difference and the sudden rise of the "middle class" clubs. Look at Chengdu Rongcheng. They finished third with 60 points and a goal difference of +32—matching Shenhua for the best defensive record in the league. They aren't just "participating" anymore. They are a wall.
Here is how the top of the pile shook out after the final whistle blew in November:
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- Shanghai Port: 66 pts (Champions)
- Shanghai Shenhua: 64 pts
- Chengdu Rongcheng: 60 pts
- Beijing Guoan: 57 pts
- Shandong Taishan: 53 pts
Beijing Guoan is the one that hurts. They were leading the pack halfway through the season. Then, their tactical rigidity—some call it stubbornness—saw them fizzle out. They ended up fourth. Fourth! For a club with that kind of history and the noise of the Workers' Stadium behind them, that's a bitter pill.
Why the Table Looks This Way
You can't talk about the standings without talking about the "Shanghai Monopoly." Since 2023, the trophy hasn't left the city. Why? Money is part of it, sure, but it’s more about stability. While other clubs were swapping managers like used cars, Kevin Muscat kept a steady hand at Port.
Then you have the Dalian Yingbo phenomenon. They finished 11th. On paper, that’s mid-table mediocrity. In reality? They were the story of the year. They averaged over 58,000 fans at home. In their final game, 62,330 people packed the Suoyuwan Stadium. That’s more than most Bundesliga or Serie A matches. When a team in 11th place has that much gravitational pull, the China Super League standings start to feel like they’re about more than just points. They’re about a culture coming back to life after the "bubble" years.
The Relegation Heartbreak
It wasn't all cheers and tifos. Changchun Yatai and Meizhou Hakka are gone. Dropped.
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Changchun’s fall was particularly grim. They finished dead last with only 19 points. They only managed four wins all season. When you’re a club that’s been a staple of the top flight, hitting the floor like that is a total system shock. Meizhou Hakka wasn't much better, finishing on 21 points. They had an 11-match winless run that basically acted as a slow-motion car crash for their season.
On the flip side, we’ve got new blood coming up for 2026. Liaoning Tieren and Chongqing Tonglianglong are the promoted side. Liaoning is a massive name in Chinese football history, and seeing them back in the top tier feels right. It’s like a piece of the puzzle finally clicked back into place.
Players Who Broke the Spreadsheet
If you want to know why the China Super League standings look the way they do, look at Fábio Abreu. The Beijing Guoan striker was a human cheat code, bagging 28 goals. Usually, the Golden Boot winner is on the championship team. Not this time. Abreu was dragging Guoan through games they had no business winning.
Then there’s Valeri Qazaishvili at Shandong Taishan. 27 goals. The man is a technician. If Shandong hadn't dealt with a mid-season injury crisis that saw them drop points to bottom-half teams like Qingdao Hainiu, they might have been the ones lifting the trophy.
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What Most People Get Wrong About the CSL
Most "experts" outside of China think the league is dying because the big-name European stars left. Honestly? They’re wrong.
The league is actually healthier now. The average attendance in 2025 was over 25,000. People are showing up for the local kids. Wang Yudong, the 19-year-old at Zhejiang, scored 11 goals—the most for any domestic player. He's the future. He’s the reason people are actually excited again. The "Su Super League" grassroots movement also fed into this, creating a weird, wonderful hybrid of professional polish and local passion.
What’s Next for the 2026 Season?
The new season is slated to kick off on March 6, 2026. The standings are reset to zero, but the baggage remains.
- Watch the Managerial Carousel: Nick Montgomery is taking over at Beijing Guoan. Can he fix the tactical "fizzle" that cost them the 2025 title?
- The Promoted Underdogs: Keep an eye on Liaoning Tieren. They aren't just here to fill a slot; they have the infrastructure to cause problems for the top five.
- The Shanghai Target: Every team in the league has spent the winter figuring out how to stop Shanghai Port’s transition play.
If you're looking to track the China Super League standings this year, don't just look at the top. Watch the gap between 6th and 12th. That’s where the real dogfights happen, and in a league that’s finally finding its footing again, any team can beat anyone on a Tuesday night in August.
The era of "buying" the league is over. Now, you have to build it. And based on the crowds in Dalian and the grit in Chengdu, the building is finally starting to look like a fortress.
Keep an eye on the early March fixtures. The first three weeks usually tell you everything you need to know about who spent their winter training and who spent it making excuses. For anyone following the league, the 2026 season is shaping up to be the most competitive one we've seen in a decade.