Recaps

Tang Ye left Borussia Dortmund after leading the club to a treble, returned to China, and took on new roles with the national team and the Chinese Football Association. He rejoined Manchester United, played for China against his club, and helped United through its preseason tour as speculation about Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Kane continued.

• Tang Ye scored twice and assisted Erling Haaland as Borussia Dortmund beat Chelsea 3–0 to win the Champions League, then comforted Ferran Escribá after the final whistle.
• Tang Ye received the Champions League final MVP award, while Escribá confronted reporters who had mocked his signing and Ferdinand argued Dortmund’s success depended on Tang Ye’s loan spell.
• Tang Ye chose the GGBond Tang Ye Insight Eye Template, raised his overall rating to 96, and joined Dortmund’s treble parade before leaving for China.
• Tang Ye returned to China, sat his Peking University exams, gave unorthodox commentary on China’s match against Syria, and was appointed deputy director of the Chinese Football Association’s Technical Department.
• Manchester United began preseason with Tang Ye, then toured China, where Tang Ye scored twice in a 4–2 win over Beijing Guoan and the association appointed Francisco Escribá to coach China.
• Tang Ye captained China against Manchester United in Chengdu, scoring twice in a 5–3 defeat that included Ousmane Dembélé’s own goal from Tang Ye’s pass.
• Tang Ye said he preferred Harry Kane as a long-term signing to Cristiano Ronaldo, then assisted Dembélé against Napoli and scored in Manchester United’s 4–1 preseason win.
• Tang Ye returned to Manchester with United as reports said Cristiano Ronaldo’s private jet had been spotted at the airport.

Tang Ye welcomed Cristiano Ronaldo to Manchester United, where the pair combined in victories as the club rose through the league and Champions League. Tang Ye then led China to three straight qualifying wins before arriving in Japan for a crucial match.

• Cristiano Ronaldo told Tang Ye that Juventus had failed to build a team around him, and Jorge Mendes said he needed to bow his head to Tang Ye to win another Champions League.
• Tang Ye scored and assisted in Manchester United’s early wins, welcomed Ronaldo’s return, and China defeated the United Arab Emirates 3–1 and Vietnam 5–0 in qualifying.
• Ronaldo scored twice on his return as Manchester United beat Newcastle 5–1, while Tang Ye contributed a goal and two assists.
• Tang Ye scored and assisted in Manchester United’s 3–1 Champions League win over Atlético Madrid, then helped the club continue its winning run against West Ham United, Aston Villa, and Everton.
• Tang Ye helped China beat Saudi Arabia 2–0 for its third consecutive qualifying victory, though Wei Shihao was sent off and Tang Ye missed a penalty.
• Tang Ye completed his clean-sheet mission, upgraded his set-piece talent, and received a mission to score eight goals.
• Tang Ye arrived in Japan ahead of China’s match against Japan, assessed the hosts’ composed defense, and met celebrity fan Kana Momonogi in the stadium tunnel.

Tang Ye led China through a string of major World Cup qualifiers while navigating tensions with Cristiano Ronaldo and Erik ten Hag at Manchester United. After strong club performances, he won both the 2020 and 2021 Ballon d’Ors and returned to Manchester with his teammates focused on winning more trophies.

• Tang Ye helped China recover from a 2–0 deficit to draw 2–2 with Japan, then scored twice in Manchester United’s 3–0 win over Sevilla and argued with Cristiano Ronaldo.
• Tang Ye scored and assisted as China beat Oman 3–0, then led China to a 4–1 victory over the United Arab Emirates with a hat-trick, putting China atop Group B.
• Tang Ye returned to Manchester United, where he continued to clash with Ronaldo over tactics as the team beat Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal and remained unbeaten in November.
• Manchester United beat Crystal Palace 2–1, and Tang Ye told his teammates he had won two awards, setting off a celebration in the locker room.
• At the Paris ceremony, Tang Ye won the 2021 Ballon d’Or, then received the 2020 award at a supplementary ceremony after Messi and Lewandowski were announced as runners-up.
• Tang Ye credited Utrecht and Erik ten Hag, praised Jude Bellingham, and said China should aim beyond reaching the World Cup Round of 16.
• A fan ran off with Tang Ye’s 2020 Ballon d’Or at Manchester Airport, but security recovered it, and Erik ten Hag urged Manchester United to stay focused on winning every trophy.

Tang Ye led Manchester United through a dominant win over Inter Milan while helping China secure World Cup qualification in a thrilling draw with Saudi Arabia. The stretch ended with China preparing to face Japan, needing only a draw to stay atop the group.

• Manchester United beat Norwich City 4–0 to remain top of the Premier League, then drew Inter Milan in the Champions League round of 16.
• Tang Ye presented his Ballon d’Or trophies at Old Trafford, and Manchester United defeated Burnley 7–1 with Tang Ye assisting Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat-trick.
• After Manchester United lost 1–0 to Wolves, Tang Ye confronted Cristiano Ronaldo over ignoring the team’s tactics, and Ronaldo remained on the bench in the following match.
• Tang Ye scored twice as Manchester United beat Aston Villa 4–0, while China moved closer to World Cup qualification with a 3–1 win over Vietnam.
• China came back from 4–2 down to draw 4–4 with Saudi Arabia, with Tang Ye assisting Wu Lei and Elkerson, and secured qualification for the World Cup.
• Manchester United extended their unbeaten run, then crushed Inter Milan 5–0 in the Champions League first leg as Tang Ye scored twice and assisted Cristiano Ronaldo.
• China prepared to face Japan after qualifying for the World Cup, and Tang Ye sent Wei Shihao through before Morita Hidemasa brought him down.