Sonam Jigme (1st R) presents the champion team members with a model of the World Cup trophy, a homemade vegetable cup and medals after a match in Zangbi Township of Lhari County, Nagqu, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, July 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhou Yulong)

　　The man who oversees matches here is Sonam Jigme, a 22-year-old herder who also serves as the children's coach, referee and match organizer on weekends, when the kids return to the pasture from school.

　　The prizes are bananas, watermelons, cabbages, laundry detergent or whatever else Sonam Jigme has managed to procure.

　　The matches have names, as well. If the prize for the winners is a bunch of bananas, the match becomes the Banana Cup. If it is a watermelon, it is the Watermelon Cup. The podium is made of cardboard boxes, and a traditional herding sling serves as the winner's sash.

　　When the whistle blew, the children all sprinted forward. One kept running even though his shoelace had come loose. Another fell, brushed off the dust and got back up. The passes were not always accurate, and the shots often went wide, but no one stopped trying.

　　After scoring, one player spread his arms and ran across the field, copying Cristiano Ronaldo's signature celebration. On the sidelines, younger children shouted and cheered. The wind carried their voices away, and another cheer soon followed.

　　Even after a year in Xizang, the altitude here still hits me harder than expected. My head was pounding, my chest felt tight, and I was out of breath after walking just a few steps. But as I got drawn into the match, watching the children fall, get back up and shout with joy after each goal, the discomfort seemed to fade for a while.