The 999th World Cup match saw Ma Ning make his appearance! He maintained steady control with six yellow cards, earning recognition from FIFA.

Written by Jin Cuo At 8 a.m. Beijing time on June 21, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Ecuador faced Curaçao in Group E of the World Cup—this was the 999th match in World Cup history. Neither side was a powerhouse, but three Chinese names made it a special spectacle, with Ma Ning being the most closely watched.

It was Ma Ning's return to the World Cup stage after four years, and also the first time in 24 years that a Chinese referee took charge of a World Cup match.

At that moment, Ma Ning, clad in the orange referee jersey, represented Chinese football.

On April 9, FIFA announced the referee list for the USA-Canada-Mexico World Cup, which included Ma Ning, Fu Ming, and Zhou Fei. Ma Ning drew the most attention because he was the referee, while Fu Ming was a Video Match Official (VMO—can serve as VAR, AVAR, SVAR, etc.), and Zhou Fei was an assistant referee. Ma Ning was selected for the second time, while Fu Ming and Zhou Fei were first-timers.

During the last edition in Qatar in 2022, Ma Ning was chosen alongside Cao Yi and Shi Xiang, serving as fourth official in six matches, all in the group stage.

For Ma Ning, standing on the World Cup stage was a dream come true, but "not having blown the whistle" left some regret.

At that time, many thought Ma Ning had no chance for the USA-Canada-Mexico event, given he would be 47. However, he refused to give up, maintaining strict discipline—keeping his body fat percentage steady at 11%, giving up red meat and alcohol, cutting out unproductive social activities, and sleeping early without staying up late.

Four years later, Ma Ning made a comeback, and this was his last chance to officiate as the main referee.

Before departure, all three stated in interviews that they wanted to prove to the world that Chinese referees are capable of standing on the World Cup stage. "We will fully showcase the style of Chinese referees," Ma Ning said.

Ma Ning emphasized that every match must be treated with great rigor: "We need to put some pressure on ourselves, pay attention to every detail during the game, make every decision correctly, and ensure timely communication and interaction on the field."

Fu Ming admitted there was pressure, but once the opening whistle blew, "it is precisely our most comfortable and familiar state. Just make accurate and smooth decisions as usual, and I believe our team can complete every task well."

Zhou Fei noted that with AI involvement, the difficulty for assistant referees has been reduced, but they still need to make accurate initial decisions: "We hope to execute decisions that align with the development of football through excellent teamwork and efficient communication."

After departing from China on May 30, the Chinese referees first went to Miami, USA, to collect equipment, receive training, undergo physical conditioning, and officiate practice matches simulating real-game scenarios. Then, Fu Ming transferred to Dallas, USA, to join 29 other video match officials at the World Cup Video Assistant Referee Center, while Ma Ning and Zhou Fei stayed in Miami, training to maintain their form and waiting patiently.

Jordan's Al-Mahadmeh, Australia's Faghani, Qatar's Jassim, and Uzbekistan's Tantashev had already taken the field. It was "inevitable" that these four Asian Football Confederation referees with strong backing were the first to officiate as main referees.

Ma Ning kept waiting until June 17, when FIFA announced that he would be the main referee for the second-round match between Ecuador and Curaçao. At that moment, Ma Ning was thrilled.

Two days later, the full referee team was revealed: Zhou Fei as first assistant referee, Fu Ming as VAR, and the trio of Chinese referees working together.

Before this, Fu Ming had already participated in officiating three matches (Australia vs. Turkey, Spain vs. Cape Verde, Switzerland vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina), all as Support Video Assistant Referee (SVAR). Everyone knows the role of VAR. The SVAR's job involves full participation in video reviews, key action analysis, offside and foul detail checks, and coordinating with on-field and video review room teams to ensure accurate, fair, and smooth decisions—in short, a supporting role.

Fu Ming did not need to go to the stadium, but Ma Ning and Zhou Fei flew for three hours.

On June 21 Beijing time, Ma Ning, Zhou Fei, and Fu Ming made their appearance—Ma Ning became the second Chinese referee to officiate a World Cup match as the main referee; Fu Ming became the first Chinese referee to serve as VAR at a World Cup; Zhou Fei became the first Chinese assistant referee to work on the field.

From the match, Ma Ning's officiating was smooth and consistent in standards. In the 25th minute, Ma Ning arranged a water break for both teams. In the 30th minute, Ecuador's Caicedo showed slight dissatisfaction with a call, but Ma Ning communicated proactively, calming him down.

In the 38th minute, Ecuador's Arce retroceded and pulled down Curaçao's Chen, stopping a counter-attack. Ma Ning showed the first yellow card of the match. A minute later, Curaçao's Bacuna blocked Ecuador's Plata's fast break, and Ma Ning issued another yellow card, suppressing the frequent fouls. "Ma Ning's two yellows in one minute" trended on Chinese social media.

During first-half stoppage time, a Curaçao player fouled Valencia. Ma Ning called the foul and immediately blew the halftime whistle. Ecuador players expressed slight disagreement, but Ma Ning dispersed them and then called both captains together to explain his decision.

In the second half, Curaçao players were overly aggressive in defense. Ma Ning maintained the same strict standard, issuing four more yellow cards, all to Curaçao players.

During stoppage time, an Ecuador player fell in the penalty area. Ma Ning made no signal, but received a prompt from VAR Fu Ming. After a brief check, the VAR review ended, and Ma Ning indicated no penalty, then blew the final whistle.

Throughout the match, Ma Ning called seven fouls on Ecuador (one yellow card) and ten fouls on Curaçao (five yellow cards), with all decisions well-grounded. After the game, observers praised Ma Ning for his calm control, reasonable card distribution, consistent standards amid frequent physical confrontations, showcasing the level of a top Chinese referee, and FIFA also gave its approval.

Next, Ma Ning will serve as the fourth official for the match between England and Ghana, while Zhou Fei will be the substitute assistant referee.

At 47, Ma Ning must face an unavoidable issue: retirement.

"We have given all our youth, all our best years, and everything we could offer to refereeing. We will have our day of retirement," Ma Ning said in a CCTV interview, indicating that after the World Cup, he would make a comprehensive assessment.

Ma Ning is now a teacher at the Sports Training College of Nanjing Sport Institute, an associate professor at the Chinese Football Referee Academy, and the lead of the football referee micro-major. Additionally, he was elected as a council member at the inaugural general meeting of the Chinese Football League.

Ma Ning stated that as long as Chinese football has hope and needs him, "I will give my all."