FIFA World Cup 2026: China’s ‘Strict’ Referee Poised to Make His Mark as World Cup Representative
China has failed to qualify for this year’s FIFA World Cup. However, the nation will still have a “representative” in the tournament—a referee. Fans from China will be supporting 46-year-old referee Ma Ning during the World Cup, which is set to kick off on Thursday, June 11, across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Numerous memes featuring images of Ma Ning have gone viral. Prominent brands like technology company Lenovo and electronics manufacturer Hisense, among others, have sponsored him. Ma Ning is known for his strict demeanor. In a 2015 match held in Shanghai, he issued seven yellow cards and three red cards, earning him the nickname “Card Master” for showing the highest number of cards in a single game as a referee.
He first participated in a World Cup four years ago in Qatar, serving as the fourth official and assisting referees off the field. This upcoming tournament will mark his second World Cup appearance. Ma Ning is also popular on social media platforms such as Reddit and other Chinese social networks, where his content has garnered millions of views. While some users have shown support for him, others have expressed concern about the state of sports in China. One Reddit user wrote, “We have Ma Ning, who do you have?” Another commented, “Other countries get to watch their teams play, but we will watch our referee handing out cards.”
Currently, Ma Ning is attending a ten-day referee training camp in Miami, alongside two other Chinese assistant referees. Assistant referee Jo Fei and video assistant referee Fu Ming will support Ma Ning off the field in their respective roles. FIFA, the global football governing body, officially recognized Ma Ning’s refereeing experience back in 2011. He also serves as a lecturer at the Nanjing Sports Institute. To gain experience ahead of the upcoming World Cup, Ma Ning opened an account on Reddit two weeks ago. Reddit is a social media platform with popularity in China akin to Instagram.
He has already attracted thousands of followers there. In his first Reddit post, Ma Ning displayed a small red booklet tucked into the pocket of his referee shirt. This represented the platform that bears his Chinese name as well as the notoriety he has gained for issuing red cards. A red card is shown to players who commit major infractions and results in their dismissal from the pitch. Subsequent posts include videos of him packing his suitcase and working out physically in a gym in preparation for the World Cup. Dramatic music accompanies the footage, and Lenovo tablets and other equipment are prominently featured. The caption reads, “I carry out this job with confidence and determination. World Cup, here we come.”
China has only qualified for the World Cup once before, in 2002, when the team failed to win a game and was eliminated in the group stage. Since then, China has been unable to advance past the qualification rounds. Over the past two decades, Chinese football has faced financial difficulties. Additionally, accusations of corruption have led to lifetime bans for some players, referees, and club officials.