Will there be Chinese referees at the next World Cup?

Written by Jin Cuo After the USA-Canada-Mexico World Cup semifinalists were determined, Chinese referees Ma Ning, Zhou Fei, and Fu Ming completed their duties and returned to China. For them, this World Cup was a mix of achievement and disappointment. The outside world wonders: Will Chinese referees appear at the next World Cup?

At the Qatar World Cup, Ma Ning, Cao Yi, and Shi Xiang were selected, but regrettably, they never took the field. "Maybe we lacked experience in big matches," Ma Ning said.

Four years later, 47-year-old Ma Ning, assistant referee Zhou Fei, and video match official (VMO) Fu Ming were selected again. A reporter asked Ma Ning if he would regret it if he "still didn't get to officiate on the field." Ma Ning calmly said he could accept any outcome, adding, "I have shown everyone that I turned the impossible into possible. I was prepared for everything, including officiating important matches."

At 8:00 AM Beijing time on the 21st, in the second round of Group E, Ecuador vs. Curaçao, the 999th match in World Cup history, Ma Ning was the main referee, Zhou Fei was the first assistant referee, and Fu Ming served as VAR. The three Chinese referees worked together as a team.

Ma Ning fulfilled his dream, and Chinese referees fulfilled theirs — Ma Ning became the second Chinese referee to officiate as the main referee in a World Cup; Fu Ming became the first Chinese referee to serve as VAR in a World Cup; Zhou Fei became the first Chinese assistant referee to officiate on the field.

In that match, Ma Ning called 17 fouls and issued 6 yellow cards. FIFA considered his performance "acceptable, with no controversial decisions."

Although some European media believed that Ma Ning showed a high frequency of card issuance and had a low tolerance for physical contact, which somewhat disrupted the flow of the game, the authoritative Refereeing World website praised his strong control of the match and consistency in decision-making. Meanwhile, media outlets like AFP noted that "Ma Ning's standards were clear and impartial."

Most Chinese fans thought that based on his performance in that match, Ma Ning could have officiated at least one more game as the main referee.

Unfortunately, that match was Ma Ning's only one as the main referee in this World Cup. In the following matches, Ma Ning participated in three more as the fourth official, including the group stage matches England 0-0 Ghana, France 4-1 Norway, and the round-of-16 match Germany 4-5 (3-4 on penalties) against Paraguay. The Germany-Paraguay match also marked the first time Chinese referees participated in a World Cup knockout stage.

As for Zhou Fei, his "fate" was tied to Ma Ning's. He also participated in four matches, serving as the reserve assistant referee when Ma Ning was the fourth official.

Fu Ming served as a video match official. In this World Cup, he participated in seven matches, covering all VAR, AVAR, and SVAR roles. Before working with Ma Ning and Zhou Fei, he served as a support video assistant referee (SVAR) in three matches (Australia 2-0 Turkey, Spain 0-0 Cape Verde, Switzerland 4-1 Bosnia). Later in the group stage, he served as an assistant video assistant referee (AVAR) in two matches (Panama 0-1 Croatia, Ecuador 2-1 Germany). In the Ecuador vs. Germany match, Fu Ming accurately reviewed a scramble for the ball and corrected a penalty decision.

In the round-of-16 match Colombia 1-0 Ghana, Fu Ming served as SVAR, meaning all three Chinese referees had "appeared" in the World Cup knockout stage.

It should be said that the three Chinese referees proved their ability with outstanding performances and restored the reputation of Chinese referees.

However, it cannot be denied that the voice or influence of Chinese referees within the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and FIFA is still too weak. Otherwise, they would have had more opportunities.

Before Ma Ning's debut in this World Cup, four AFC referees had already officiated as main referees: Jordan's Al-Mahadmeh, Australia's Faghani, Qatar's Al-Jassim, and Uzbekistan's Tantashev. In the AFC, Ma Ning belonged to the second tier, competing with a group of referees. Fortunately, he prevailed. But facing the four first-tier referees, he — or Chinese referees — had no way around it.

The Chinese referees have finished their duties at this World Cup. Will Chinese referees have a chance at the next World Cup?

After bidding farewell to the World Cup, Ma Ning said his love for Chinese football will never stop: "As long as Chinese football needs me, I will give my all." He hopes his experience will inspire more young people to pursue careers as referees. He also looks forward to more referees taking the baton in the future, "to go higher and further on the World Cup stage." Earlier, he also expressed his hope that Chinese referees could participate in every World Cup and even achieve outstanding performances.

For now, however, this remains a beautiful wish.

Due to age, Ma Ning will certainly not be able to continue in four years. For domestic referees, taking over as the main referee is extremely difficult. As for Zhou Fei, born in 1986, he is now 40 years old; Fu Ming, born in 1983, is now 43. Both can still officiate. However, Zhou Fei needs a main referee to "guide" him. Fu Ming's situation is simpler: if he continues as a video match official, he still has a chance at the next World Cup, as the oldest video official in this World Cup was 48.

The international-level referees registered with the Chinese Football Association are all AFC elite referees and can officiate continental matches. Relatively speaking, Shen Yinhao has officiated more matches, but he has his own shortcomings and is still far from the World Cup.

According to reports, FIFA's evaluation of referees spans a long period. After entering the World Cup candidate list, a technical panel composed of retired referees conducts three to four years of further evaluation and assessment. Currently, Chinese referees need to make it onto the initial candidate list. "Only when your level meets the standard of a World Cup referee will you be selected," Ma Ning said.

Currently remaining in the World Cup are AFC referees Faghani and Al-Mahadmeh. After this World Cup, the AFC referee landscape will be reshuffled. Originally, Faghani was the top referee in Asia, but he is one year older than Ma Ning and will not be able to participate in the next World Cup. The head of the AFC referees department, former golden whistle Irmatov, had intended to support his countryman Tantashev, but the latter performed poorly, blowing the round-of-16 match between France and Paraguay so badly that outside observers said he "didn't look like a professional referee." As a result, Al-Mahadmeh has stepped up, officiating four matches so far, including two knockout games.

Over the next four years, competition in the East Asian region will be fierce. Japanese referees have been selected for consecutive World Cups but have not officiated in the last three. They will definitely push for a breakthrough next time. South Korean referees have missed four consecutive World Cups, and domestic criticism has been strong, which serves as motivation for them.

In recent years, the Chinese Football Association has done a lot of work on referees, establishing a complete mechanism of "selection, training, practice, assessment, and international delivery." They align with FIFA's unified standards and regularly conduct physical fitness tests, rule discussions, and psychological stress training. However, producing another Ma Ning will take time.