China fans rally behind referee Ma Ning as World Cup begins

With no national team to cheer for, millions of Chinese football fans have turned a 46-year-old referee into an unlikely folk hero.

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Add us on Google by Editorial Team Jun. 9, 2026

When your country hasn’t qualified for the World Cup in 24 years, you find other ways to participate. For millions of Chinese football fans, that means rallying behind the one person who will actually be on the pitch representing their nation: referee Ma Ning.

Ma is the sole Chinese match official selected for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which runs from June 12 to July 20. His selection has triggered something between a national pride campaign and a full-blown internet meme movement, with hashtags related to his involvement racking up over 3.6 million views on Weibo.

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The Card Master goes viral

Ma Ning is not your typical internet celebrity. Born on June 14, 1979, the 46-year-old has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2011. He’s earned the nickname “Card Master” among Chinese fans for his no-nonsense officiating style.

Ma Ning’s account on RedNote, China’s popular social platform, gained over 195,000 followers in less than two weeks after news of his World Cup selection broke. Domestic brands have noticed the surge and started lining up endorsement opportunities. In a country where the men’s national team last appeared at a World Cup in 2002, corporate sponsors are apparently happy to back the next best thing: the guy with the whistle.

A 24-year drought and the search for representation

China’s men’s national team hasn’t sniffed a World Cup since the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan.

Ma isn’t exactly new to the big stage. He officiated the AFC Asian Cup final in February 2024, one of the most high-profile matches in Asian football. He was also part of the officiating roster for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, so the 2026 tournament represents a continuation rather than a debut at the highest level.

The risk, of course, is that the spotlight cuts both ways. Referees who become famous before a tournament tend to attract scrutiny during it. Every yellow card Ma issues, every penalty call he makes or doesn’t make, will now be dissected by millions of fans who have an emotional stake in his performance.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.