China won’t be playing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. But one Chinese figure is heading to football’s biggest stage. In the process he’s become a star, and a marketing figure to be fought over. His name is Ma Ning (马宁) and he’s a referee.
In the run-up to the World Cup, the 46-year-old has signed brand partnerships with Lenovo, Hisense and Mengniu, while official accounts dedicated to him have garnered staggering numbers of views: 3 billion on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, and close to 100 million on Rednote.
Ma is the only Chinese referee selected for this year’s World Cup, which runs from June 12 to July 20. It marks his second appearance at the tournament after serving as a fourth official at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. With China’s men’s national team once again failing to qualify, Ma makes for an obvious Chinese representative on football’s biggest stage. And he’s got the image to back it.
Born in Liaoning province, Ma spent years building a reputation as one of Chinese football’s strictest officials. His willingness to hand out yellow and red cards earned him the nickname The Card Master among Chinese fans. That reputation has since evolved into internet fame. Memes featuring Ma and his trademark red cards have spread widely across Chinese social media.
And that popularity has become a valuable asset for brands. On Rednote, his first post played on both the platform’s Chinese name – Little Red Book – and his reputation for dishing out red cards. The account reportedly attracted more than 140,000 followers within a week.
For brands, Ma offers something unusual: authority. As Chinese sports consultancy ECO Sports noted, referees occupy a position of neutrality and trust. Ma also represents something increasingly rare in Chinese football (and we say this with all due respect): success. While the national team hasn’t made the world stage, Ma has reached the very top of his profession. In some ways it’s actually a safer bet than backing a team that could tank and lose.
