Chinese fans rally behind referee Ma Ning at World Cup in North America
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jun 9, 2026, 6:06 AM
Last updated Jun 9, 2026
Chinese football fans have adopted referee Ma Ning, also known as 'Card Master', as their representative at the World Cup in North America. With China's national team failing to qualify, Ma has gained popularity, amassing over 3.6 million views on a related hashtag on Weibo. He is the only Chinese match referee at the tournament, marking his second World Cup appearance after debuting as a fourth official in 2022. Ma's social media presence has expanded significantly, and his trips have been well-documented, including playful content related to his role as a referee. He is accompanied by assistant referee Zhou Fei and VAR official Fu Ming during the tournament.
- •Ma Ning is the only Chinese referee at the World Cup.
- •He gained viral attention with over 3.6 million hashtag views.
- •Ma previously officiated at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
- •His social media following surged to 195,000 in less than two weeks.
- •Ma's nickname 'Card Master' stems from his 2015 match where he issued numerous cards.
- 6:06 AMYahoo Sports — Success-starved China fans adopt 'Card Master' referee as World Cup rep
"Chinese football fans left without a national team to support at the World Cup have turned to referee Ma Ning -- nicknamed "Card Master" for his enthusiasm in booking players -- as the country's representative for the tournament.Ma is the only Chinese match referee at the tournament, where he is making his second World Cup appearance, having debuted as a fourth official in Qatar in 2022.
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