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Paul McNamara

Eleven years after the three reds and nine yellows he brandished in an ill-tempered Shanghai derby led to him being labelled the “card master”, a nickname that endures to this day, Ma Ning is poised to fly the Chinese flag at the forthcoming World Cup.
Currently preparing for his second finals, after fulfilling fourth official duties in Qatar 3½ years ago, Ma is growing into his country’s biggest star at the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
China have notoriously failed to reach the tournament since their pointless and scoreless appearance in 2002.
Tiring of being let down by their footballers, supporters have begun hanging their hat on a 46-year-old referee for success.
Granted a send-off by the Chinese Football Association (CFA), alongside fellow USA-bound officials Zhou Fei, the assistant referee, and video assistant referee Fu Ming, Ma said the contingent had “worked hard over the years to show that Chinese referees are capable of standing on the world’s biggest football stage”.
“During the World Cup, we will learn from the world’s best referees and bring those valuable experiences back to China to contribute to the training and development of future referees,” he added. “We will also do our utmost to showcase the quality and professionalism of Chinese officials.”

The referee for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup final, where he awarded hosts Qatar a trio of penalties in their 3-1 win over Jordan, Ma has brand ambassador deals with companies including tech giant Lenovo and Hisense, the consumer electronics manufacturer.
A man who has shown a mighty 1,597 yellow and 103 red cards since he quit teaching PE for refereeing in 2010, topics relating to Ma have generated more than three billion views on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, and nearly 100 million on RedNote.
When he recently launched his own RedNote account, accompanied with a playful profile picture of him flashing an innocent smile while showing a red card, Ma attracted more than 147,000 followers within one week of his first post.
From the industrial province of Liaoning in northeast China, Ma is not universally popular.
After the official disallowed a goal for his team in the AFC Champions League Elite quarter-final back in April, the Al-Ittihad head coach, Sergio Conceicao, said: “The worst team on the field was the refereeing crew.”
Last month, Shanghai Port fans marked Mother’s Day by chanting insults about Ma’s mum.
Nonetheless, there is a prevailing hope that China’s absence from the World Cup will open the door to “impartial” Ma being asked to oversee matches deep into the tournament.
One of eight Asian referees among 52 appointed for the 104-match 2026 finals, Ma was last year given only a low-key first-round game between Al Ahly and Auckland City at the Club World Cup. He showed one red card.
Currently in Miami for a 10-day officials’ camp, also attended by Zhou and Fu, Ma is yet to discover his first assignment, but the message he posted from his aeroplane seat as he prepared to head Stateside smacked of confidence.
“I’m ready, are you ready?” it read.
Xu Jiren, vice-president of the CFA, tipped the country’s “team” to enhance the image of Chinese refereeing and football.

Fu said: “We will focus on every detail and strive to perform well in every match. At the same time, we should enjoy the experience and cherish every moment of officiating at the highest level of world football.”
Zhou, like Fu a World Cup debutant, struck a similar tone, saying: “I cherish this opportunity and hope that through excellent teamwork and efficient communication, we can make decisions that are in line with the development of modern football.”


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Chinese Football Association (CFA)

China World Cup hopes pinned on referee Ma Ning, could ‘impartial’ official oversee final?

Ma Ning disallows an Al-Ittihad goal in an AFC Champions League Elite tie in April. Photo: Getty Images

Ma Ning, known as the “card master”, launched his own RedNote account just before the World Cup. Photo: Handout

Ma Ning awarded Qatar (red) three penalties against Jordan in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup final. Photo: Getty Images

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Marco Materazzi stands beside the match ball from the 2006 World Cup final during his visit to the Fifa Museum in Hong Kong. Photo: Sam Tsang.

Marco Materazzi kisses the World Cup trophy after Italy’s 2006 triumph. Photo: Getty Images.

 Marco Materazzi hits the turf after being headbutted by Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final. Photo: AFP

Sport

The 46-year-old is poised for second finals, while country’s footballers must wait at least another four years to add to 2002 appearance


The 46-year-old is poised for second finals, while country’s footballers must wait at least another four years to add to 2002 appearance.


Fifa World Cup 2026

Xue Fei

Lenovo

China World Cup hopes pinned on referee Ma Ning, could ‘impartial’ official oversee final?

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The 46-year-old is poised for second finals, while country’s footballers must wait at least another four years to add to 2002 appearance

The 46-year-old is poised for second finals, while country’s footballers must wait at least another four years to add to 2002 appearance