"All these familiar brands are there on the soccer field. With me in Moscow, there are 60,000 Chinese fans. We are eating the 100,000 crawfish that have traveled the Sino-Europe railway to get here. All that is missing is the Chinese soccer team."

Businesses no doubt comprise the biggest part of the Chinese presence. Seven Chinese companies have signed to be World Cup partners, sponsors and supporters in Moscow. Their sponsorship has reached $835 million, which is more than one-third of the event's total revenue from sponsors.

The amount is $400 million more than the second-biggest spender, the United States, and easily exceeds that of host country Russia, according to market research company Zenith.

Chinese businesses say they want to increase the influence of their brands in foreign markets through the sponsorship, while experts say brand-building is only a small token for success in global expansion.

The list of Chinese sponsors for the World Cup features established brands and lower-profile companies that are equally ambitious.