In football, people often look at the league table and make predictions based on what they see. 

Sometimes, those predictions turn out right. Other times, football reminds us why the game is never over until it is over. 

 This is the story of Chengdu Rongcheng and Dalian Yingbo in the 2026 Chinese Super League. And believe me, the ending is something worth telling. 

 For much of the season, Chengdu Rongcheng had been the team to beat. They had occupied the top position since the opening day and looked determined to win their first-ever Chinese Super League title. 

 With five matches remaining, Chengdu had built a remarkable 14-point advantage over the chasing teams. Dalian Yingbo, who were sitting fourth at that stage, were among those trailing behind. 

 Think about the situation. Fourteen points separated them from the leaders, and only five matches remained. Chengdu appeared to have one hand on the trophy. 

 For Dalian, the situation was almost unbelievable. They were not the favourites. They were not the team everyone was talking about as the likely champions. 

They had a huge gap to overcome, and the season was almost over. But something about football is that the table tells you where a team stands; it does not always tell you where that team can finish. 

 Then things began to change. Chengdu started dropping points at the worst possible moment. 

Their once-comfortable advantage began to disappear, while Dalian found a different level of determination. Dalian kept winning. 

They defeated their opponents one after another, collecting points when they needed them most. 

 Chengdu, meanwhile, could not find their way back to winning form. The most painful part for Chengdu was that they had several opportunities to put the championship beyond reach. 

At one point, they needed just a single point from their final four matches to become champions. One point! A draw in any of those games would have been enough. 

But they failed to get it. They drew 0–0 against Henan, then lost to Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, Shanghai Port and eventually Dalian Yingbo themselves. 

 That victory was particularly important for Dalian. On October 24, they travelled to face the league leaders and defeated them 1–0. Suddenly, the championship was no longer a distant dream. Going into the final matchday, Chengdu still had a chance to save their season. 

They needed just a draw against Shandong Taishan to secure the title. Dalian, on the other hand, had to win their own match against Tianjin and hope Chengdu lost. And that was exactly what happened. 

 Shandong Taishan defeated Chengdu 3–2, while Dalian defeated Tianjin 3–1 in front of their home supporters. 

 Both teams finished the season with 52 points. Interestingly, Chengdu actually had a better overall goal difference. 

However, the Chinese Super League uses head-to-head results as its first tiebreaker. Dalian had beaten Chengdu in both meetings, so they were crowned champions. 

 Just think about it. A team that was fourth and 14 points behind with five matches remaining had gone on to win the championship. 

They won all five of their remaining matches, collecting 15 points out of 15. 

 Meanwhile, Chengdu managed just one point from those same five matches.  What an extraordinary turnaround! 

THE DEEPER TAKEAWAY FROM THIS STORY.  

Sometimes, we look at people's positions and conclude that we already know how their stories will end. 

We look at someone who is struggling and assume they cannot make it. We look at someone who is ahead and assume nothing can go wrong. 

 But life does not always follow the predictions people make about us. Never allow your current position to determine the limits of your ambition. 

Being behind does not mean you are finished, and being ahead does not mean you can afford to stop working. 

 If you are struggling today, keep going. You may be closer to a breakthrough than you realise. And if things are already working in your favour, remain humble, disciplined and focused. 

Don't let comfort make you careless. Sometimes, the people everyone overlooks are still writing their greatest chapters, while those who think they have already arrived may still have important lessons to learn. 

May God give us the strength to persevere when the journey becomes difficult, the humility to remain focused when things are going well, and the wisdom not to give up or become complacent. May we have the grace to finish well. Amen.