During the recent match between Curaçao and Ecuador, most viewers focused on the Curaçaoan goalkeeper whose 15 saves were noted as one of the most significant performances in World Cup history. However, a segment of fans in China directed their attention to Ma Ning, the 47-year-old referee, who stands as the top-ranking Chinese official in the tournament.

China’s national team did not qualify for the World Cup, positioning Ma Ning as the country’s symbolic representative at the global event. His role has captured widespread attention, providing an unexpected spotlight in a position often characterized by low visibility.

Ma Ning, accompanied by assistant referee Zhou Fei and video assistant referee Fu Ming, comprised the first officiating team from China in this World Cup. He is notable for being the first Chinese referee to participate in two consecutive World Cups. Although selected for the 2022 tournament, Ma did not perform an on-field assignment, making his participation in this World Cup particularly significant. This marks the first time since 2002 that a Chinese referee has officiated in a World Cup match.

The presence of Chinese referees in Kansas City, Mo., was celebrated as a “historic milestone” by China’s state-run media. In a country with 1.4 billion people, where the national team last qualified for the World Cup in 2002 without scoring a goal in the group stage, this event held considerable importance. Many Chinese fans expressed their enthusiasm on social media, indicating they tuned in specifically to watch Ma Ning officiate the match.