Chinese fans have embraced referee Ma Ning as their World Cup representative after China's failure to qualify
The "Card Master" has become a social media star ahead of the tournament
India's connection to the World Cup comes through Indian-origin players and photojournalist Gitika Talukdar
The FIFA World Cup 2026, which begins on June 11 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, will be the biggest edition of football's showpiece event, featuring 48 teams for the first time. While China once again failed to qualify, Chinese fans have found a representative to rally behind at football's biggest stage -- referee Ma Ning.
For a country that has not qualified for the World Cup since its lone appearance in 2002, the absence has become a familiar disappointment. Yet Chinese fans have found a figure to rally behind this year in Ma, who has emerged as one of the country's most prominent representatives at the tournament.
The 46-year-old official has sparked viral discussions across Chinese social media and attracted sponsorship deals from major brands, including Lenovo and Hisense. Topics related to Ma have generated millions of views online, with many fans embracing him as China's unofficial World Cup representative.
Ma is no stranger to attention. Nicknamed the "Card Master", he built a reputation for his strict officiating style and became widely known after issuing nine yellow cards and three red cards during a match in Shanghai in 2015.
The 2026 tournament will be his second World Cup appearance after making his debut in Qatar four years ago as a fourth official. This time, he arrives with greater experience and will be joined by assistant referee Zhou Fei and video assistant referee Fu Ming as part of China's officiating team.
Ahead of the tournament, Ma launched an account on Chinese social media platform RedNote, where he has been documenting his preparations.
One of his first posts showed him pulling a small red book from his referee shirt pocket, a playful nod to both the platform's name and his reputation for producing red cards. Another featured his training routine and preparations for the World Cup.
His popularity also highlights the frustrations surrounding Chinese football. Since their debut World Cup appearance in 2002 ended with three defeats and no goals scored, China have failed to qualify for the tournament.
The sport has also battled financial problems and corruption scandals over the past two decades, with several players, referees and club officials receiving severe punishments following investigations into misconduct.
Indian fans find themselves in a similar position. The Blue Tigers' World Cup dream ended in the second round of Asian qualifying, extending the country's wait for a maiden appearance at football's biggest event.
However, India will still have a presence at the tournament through several Indian-origin footballers representing other nations and photojournalist Gitika Talukdar.
New Zealand international Sarpreet Singh, Australia's Nishan Velupillay, Qatar's Tahsin Jamshid and DR Congo midfielder Samuel Moutoussamy are among the players of Indian origin set to feature at the World Cup.
India will also be represented by Assam's Gitika Talukdar, who becomes the only Indian female photojournalist accredited for the tournament and will be covering her third consecutive men's World Cup after assignments in Russia and Qatar.
While China's players will not be on the pitch this summer, Ma Ning's presence ensures the country will still have a role to play at football's grandest spectacle. For many Chinese fans, the referee has unexpectedly become their face of the World Cup.
