The FIFA World Cup (W Cup) North/Central America tournament Group F's second match between Japan and Tunisia appears to have achieved astonishing viewership ratings in China.

The match, held on the 21st, kicked off at 1 PM in Japan and at noon in China. According to "Yingguo Zuqiu Na Dian Shi" (That Little Thing About English Football), a prominent soccer account on China's SNS Weibo (Weibo) boasting 11.15 million followers, the viewership rating (收视率) for the first half of the Japan match, broadcast live by China's state-owned Central Television sports channel (CCTV5), recorded 3.0287%.

China's viewership rating is an index representing the percentage of all TV owners who watched that program. Exceeding 1% is considered the standard for a nationwide hit, and exceeding 3% can be called a major hit.

Furthermore, the market share (市占率, the percentage of people who watched the program among those actually watching TV during that time slot) for the first half of the Japan match soared to an astonishing 27.0144%. The same account expressed surprise, stating, "The high level of attention is real."

On Weibo, "CCTV live broadcast of Japan's match viewership exceeding 3%" became a trending topic. Internet users posted comments such as: "Truly the light of Asia. It's natural that many people watch it," "Even if they criticize with their mouths, everyone in their hearts supports Japan," and "Japanese soccer is exactly what Chinese soccer dreams of becoming."

On the other hand, some aggressive comments were posted, such as "It was noon on a weekend. The time slot must have just been good," and "Everyone was just watching it while eating lunch." However, counterarguments were raised against these, including "Not all channels were broadcasting the Japan match (many people watched the Japan match even though other programs were also being broadcast)" and "Yesterday's Brazil match was also on a weekend, but the viewership ratings didn't reach those of the Japan match." (Translation/Editing: Kitada)