By KHT Staff
NORTH AMERICA — China’s men’s national football team is not at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but Chinese fans have still found someone to cheer for: a referee.
Ma Ning (馬寧), 46, is the only Chinese head referee selected for this year’s tournament in North America. He is joined by assistant referee Zhou Fei (周飛) and video assistant referee Fu Ming (傅明), according to the Chinese Football Association.
Ma is widely known online as “Card Master” (卡牌大師), a nickname built around his strict refereeing style and reputation for handing out yellow and red cards quickly. The nickname became part of Chinese football culture after a heated 2015 Shanghai derby, when Ma issued nine yellow cards and three red cards in one match, according to Chinese sports media.
The joke has followed him ever since. On Chinese social platforms, fans have joked that while other countries watch their national teams play, China watches its referee hand out cards. Another popular joke imagined Ma’s luggage for the World Cup packed not with clothes, but with red and yellow cards.
The attention has also created an unusual marketing moment. Referees rarely become commercial stars during major tournaments, where sponsors usually focus on players, coaches, and teams.
Ahead of the World Cup, Chinese media reported that Ma signed or announced partnerships with several brands tied to the tournament, including Lenovo (聯想), Hisense (海信), and Mengniu Dairy (蒙牛).
His online presence has grown quickly. Chinese media reported that Ma-related topics had drawn more than 3 billion views on Douyin (抖音), China’s version of TikTok, and nearly 100 million views on RedNote (小紅書). The figures could not be independently verified.
Ma’s rise is also a reversal of his domestic image. In the Chinese Super League, he has often been a divisive figure, criticized by fans who saw his decisions as too harsh or too eager to control matches through bookings. At the World Cup, the same image has become part of the appeal.
This is Ma’s second World Cup appearance. He served as a fourth official at the 2022 tournament in Qatar, and Chinese state media said he is the first Chinese match referee to take part in two World Cups.
