China is rooting for its World Cup referee
With the People's Republic of China missing from the tournament for 24 years, the "card master" has become a celebrity among fans. He is the only Chinese tasked with refereeing a World Cup match, but also an ambassador for giants like Lenovo and Hinsense. Tomorrow evening, he will referee the Ecuador-Curaçao match, with two Chinese assistants.
Rome (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Ma Ning, 46, is a true celebrity in China. Known by the sobriquet "Card Master”, he is the only Chinese football (soccer) referee presiding over matches at the 2026 World Cup, currently underway in Canada, the United States, and Mexico, after making his debut as a fourth official in Qatar in 2022.
Since China’s national team failed to qualify for the 2026 edition, Ma Ning has become China’s face at the World Cup, cheered by fans.
Like famous footballers, Ma has attracted sponsorship deals, becoming the subject of memes and content with millions of views on social media.
Over the past week, he has become an ambassador for several brands, including tech giants Lenovo and Hisense, and dairy brand Mengniu.
He has also dedicated social media profiles on the Xiaohongshu platform, aka RedNote, and on the video streaming site Bilibili.
This interest for the referee is fuelled by China's long absence from the tournament: 24 years.
Ma Ning will be supported in refereeing by assistant referee Zhou Fei and video assistant referee (VAR) Fu Ming. The Group E Ecuador-Curaçao match – valid for the group stage, tomorrow at Kansas City Stadium – will be the first time three Chinese referees have worked together in a World Cup match.
This is a unique event in the history of Chinese international refereeing. Other records will be set during the same match: Ma Ning is the first Chinese referee to officiate a World Cup match; Fu Ming will be the first to serve as VAR, and Zhou Fei will be the first Chinese assistant referee at the tournament.
This is consistent with the increased reliance on Chinese referees in major international competitions. Indeed, Ma and Fu worked at the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup in 2025.
The team of Ma, Fu, Zhou, and Zhang Cheng refereed the final of the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar in 2024, the first time Chinese referees officiated the tournament's final.
Before leaving for the World Cup, Ma Ming said that Chinese referees have worked for years to demonstrate their competence and ability to operate on football's biggest stage.
A native of Liaoning Province, northeastern China, Ma worked as a university physical education teacher before turning to professional refereeing in 2010.
Over the course of his long career, he earned both praise and criticism for his stern attitude towards players.
In a 2015 league match, he issued nine yellow cards and three red cards, a performance that earned him the nickname of “card master” among fans.
In 2025, the Chinese Super League averaged 4.13 yellow cards and 0.22 red cards per match.
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