BEIJING - Real Madrid captain Iker Casillas said in Beijing on Wednesday the development of teenage soccer in China was key to the nation becoming a major player on the world stage.

"I hope more people will devote themselves to the development of youths," said Casillas, who led a young Spanish team to its first European Championship in 2008 and the World Cup title in 2010.

"Chinese soccer and Asian soccer are different from Europe, but you must work harder and harder to develop the sport from the grassroots; especially the training of teenagers," he said. "Because if you don't sow seeds today, you will never harvest talent and bring up the superstars of tomorrow."