Zhang Xiaorui - International Career

International Career

As part of the promising young Chinese players that were studying abroad the Chinese Head coach Qi Wusheng would include Zhang Xiaorui into his squad to make his debut in a friendly against USA on January 29, 1997 in a game that China won 2-1. He would go on to play for the Chinese U-20 team that took part in the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship and once the tournament finished he was one of several players that would graduate from the Chinese Jianlibao Youth Football Team to the senior team along with Li Jinyu, Li Tie and Sui Dongliang. He would go on to score his first goal against Bosnia-Herzegovina in a friendly on March 3, 1997 in a 3-0 win. After playing in several FIFA World Cup qualification games he was dropped from the team after China did not qualify. After several years out being dropped from international football Zhang Xiaorui would return to the senior team when the new Chinese Head coach Bora Milutinović would include him in the squads that were playing friendlies in preparation for the 2000 AFC Asian Cup, however once these ended the manager decided not to call him into the squad anymore.