Chinese referee Ma Ning emerges as nation’s World Cup standard-bearer
With no team at the World Cup, China cheers referee Ma Ning
China’s national football team may have once again failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, but Chinese fans have found an unlikely representative to support at the tournament: veteran referee Ma Ning. As the World Cup kicks off on Thursday, the 46-year-old official has become a source of national pride, drawing widespread attention on social media and securing sponsorship deals with major Chinese brands such as Lenovo and Hisense.
Ma has earned a reputation as one of Asia’s most recognizable referees, known for his strict and uncompromising approach to officiating. His tough style gained particular attention in 2015 during a match in Shanghai, where he issued nine yellow cards and three red cards, earning him the nickname “card master” among football fans.
The upcoming tournament marks Ma’s second World Cup appearance. He made his World Cup debut in Qatar four years ago, serving as a fourth official, a role that supports the referee from the sidelines and assists with match administration. His selection for another World Cup reflects his standing among the world’s elite football officials.
As excitement builds, discussions about Ma have generated millions of views on Chinese social media platforms, including RedNote. Many users have embraced him as China’s most prominent presence at the tournament, while others have used his participation to express frustration over the country’s continued struggles in international football. One user joked, “We have Ma Ning, who do you have?” while another commented that Chinese fans would be watching their referee instead of their national team, BBC reports.
Ma is currently in Miami attending a 10-day training camp for tournament officials. He is accompanied by assistant referee Zhou Fei and video assistant referee Fu Ming, who will also represent China at the World Cup. Their responsibilities include supporting match referees from the sidelines and through video review operations.
A FIFA-certified referee since 2011, Ma has built a distinguished career in football officiating while also working as a lecturer at the Nanjing Sport Institute. His professional achievements have helped establish him as one of China’s most respected figures in the sport.
Ahead of the tournament, Ma launched an account on RedNote, China’s popular social media platform, where he quickly attracted nearly 200,000 followers. His first post cleverly referenced both the platform’s Chinese name and his reputation for issuing red cards, showing him pulling a small red book from the pocket of his referee shirt.
Subsequent posts have documented his preparations for the World Cup, including videos of him packing for the trip and training in the gym. In one post, accompanied by dramatic music and featuring a Lenovo tablet, Ma expressed confidence about the challenge ahead, writing that he was approaching the appointment with “confidence and composure.”
Ma’s popularity comes against the backdrop of a difficult period for Chinese football. China has not qualified for the World Cup since its only appearance in 2002, when the team was eliminated in the group stage without earning a point. Over the past two decades, the sport in China has faced persistent challenges, including financial difficulties and corruption scandals that have led to lifetime bans for several players, referees, and club officials, making Ma’s international success a rare bright spot for Chinese football supporters.
