Three Chinese Referees Make History at World Cup Match

In a historic milestone for Chinese football officiating, three Chinese referees—Ma Ning, Zhou Fei, and Fu Ming—jointly officiated a FIFA World Cup 2026 Group E match between Ecuador and Curaçao on June 20 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Ma Ning served as head referee, Zhou Fei as assistant referee, and Fu Ming as video assistant referee (VAR), marking the first time three Chinese officials have worked together on a World Cup match.

The match, which ended in a 0-0 draw, saw Curaçao earn their first-ever World Cup point. Ecuador dominated possession with nearly 30 attempts on goal and hit the woodwork three times, but were denied by Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room, who was named Player of the Match, as FIFA reported.

A 24-Year Wait Ends

Ma Ning becomes the first Chinese referee in 24 years to officiate a World Cup match as head referee, since Lu Jun at the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup. The 47-year-old FIFA-listed referee since 2011 had previously served as fourth official in six matches at the 2022 Qatar World Cup but had never taken the lead role until now. According to China Daily, Ma is the only Chinese referee to be selected for two consecutive World Cups (2022, 2026).

Known by fans as “Card Master” (卡牌大师) for his strict enforcement style, Ma has built an impressive resume. He officiated the 2023 AFC Asian Cup final in Qatar and the inaugural expanded FIFA Club World Cup in 2025, as reported by Xinhua News Agency.

A Full Chinese Officiating Team

For the first time, China had a complete officiating team—referee, assistant referee, and VAR—at a World Cup. Zhou Fei became the first Chinese assistant referee to officiate on the field at a World Cup, while Fu Ming became the first Chinese referee to serve as VAR at the tournament. Fu had already appeared in two earlier World Cup 2026 matches as assistant VAR before this appointment.

The three referees were part of the Chinese quartet that officiated the 2023 AFC Asian Cup final, demonstrating the growing depth of Chinese officiating talent. The Chinese Football Association held a farewell ceremony for the trio before their departure from Beijing on May 30.

Embracing AI Technology

The 2026 World Cup has introduced an upgraded AI-assisted refereeing system featuring 3D modeling and multi-camera tracking for millimeter-precise offside calls. In an interview with Sina Sports, Ma Ning explained how the technology has transformed officiating: “This World Cup has an automatic offside system. If there’s interference in the game with a direct passing relationship, we get a prompt in our earpiece saying ‘offside.’ We no longer need to delay and wait for VAR review, greatly shortening review time and improving match fluency.”

Zhou Fei also noted the impact of AI on assistant referees: “After AI介入, for us assistant referees, it reduces some difficulty in decision-making, but we still need to make accurate initial calls.”

A Point of Pride for Chinese Football

While China’s men’s national team has not qualified for the World Cup since 2002, the presence of Chinese referees at the highest level of the sport provides a source of national pride and visibility. Before departing for the tournament, Ma Ning said: “During the World Cup, we will learn from the world’s best referees and bring valuable experience back to China to contribute to the training and development of Chinese referees. We will also do our utmost to showcase the professionalism and spirit of Chinese referees on the World Cup stage.”

Zhou Fei, who also works as a referee talent development educator, emphasized the long-term impact: “I will bring back the advanced officiating concepts learned during this World Cup to share with young domestic referees, helping our referee team grow and improve.”

What to Watch For

With the group stage still ongoing, it remains to be seen whether Ma Ning will be assigned additional matches in the knockout stages. Regardless, the trio’s performance has already cemented a historic chapter for Chinese football officiating. The experience gained by these three referees—and the knowledge they bring back to China’s referee development programs—could help build a pipeline of internationally recognized Chinese officials for future World Cups.

As the Xinhua report concluded, the sight of Chinese referees on the world’s biggest football stage represents the culmination of years of preparation and dedication—and a sign of more to come.