With no team in World Cup, Chinese fans rally around a red card-happy referee
The 46-year-old official is known for his strict officiating style, which earned him the nickname "card master" after he issued nine yellow cards and three red cards in a 2015 match in Shanghai
Chinese football fans have turned referee Ma Ning into the country's de facto "star representative" at the World Cup, amid the national team's repeated failure to qualify for the tournament.
The 46-year-old official is known for his strict officiating style, which earned him the nickname "card master" after he issued nine yellow cards and three red cards in a 2015 match in Shanghai, says BBC.
Ma's profile has grown beyond the pitch, translating into a strong social media following and sponsorship deals with brands including Lenovo and Hisense. Within two weeks of joining the RedNote platform to document his journey, he gained 197,000 followers.
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While many supporters have celebrated his visibility through viral memes and messages of support, others have used his prominence to highlight broader concerns about Chinese football, including funding shortages and allegations of corruption over the past two decades.
This tournament marks Ma's second World Cup involvement, following his earlier role as a fourth official at the World Cup in Qatar.
He is currently attending a 10-day officials' training camp in Miami alongside fellow Chinese officials Zhou Fei, an assistant referee, and Fu Ming, a video assistant referee. When not officiating international matches, Ma works as a lecturer at the Nanjing Sport Institute.
