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Ma Ning Leads First Chinese Officiating Trio at World Cup

6/22/2026

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Summary

Ma Ning Officiates

Ma Ning refereed the Ecuador-Curaçao World Cup match, the first Chinese referee in 24 years.
Zhou Fei and VAR official Fu Ming assisted, forming the first Chinese officiating trio at the match.
Curaçao earned its first World Cup point with a 0-0 draw as goalkeeper Eloy Room made 15 saves.
FIFA named Ma Ning fourth official for England-Ghana on June 24 after he served in six 2022 Qatar matches, the last Chinese lead being Lu Jun in 2002.

Summary

Chinese Trio Appointed

The trio of Ma Ning, Zhou Fei and Fu Ming were appointed after a three-year “quality first” FIFA evaluation.
FIFA’s chief referee officer Pierluigi Collina said the officials are “the very best in the world.”
Fu Ming became the first Chinese VAR at a World Cup.
Zhou Fei became the first Chinese on-field assistant at a World Cup.

Summary

Ecuador Seeks Point

Ecuador and Curacao meet in Group E, both needing their first World Cup point after recent defeats.
Ecuador entered after a 90th-minute loss to Ivory Coast sealed by Manchester United winger Amad Diallo.
Curacao seeks to rebound from a 1-7 defeat to Germany and avoid a winless start in the group.
Referee Ning Ma, who oversaw 374 matches, 1,597 yellow cards and 103 red cards, also lectures at Nanjing Sport Institute.

History

Historical Context

The 2002 FIFA World Cup, the first ever staged in Asia and featuring debutant China among 32 teams, marked a turning point for Asian involvement in the sport. Building on that momentum, FIFA’s decision in 2026 to expand the finals to 48 teams has renewed focus on Asian representation, echoing earlier calls by officials for more Asian berths.

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Ma Ning Officiates

Ma Ning refereed the Ecuador-Curaçao World Cup match, the first Chinese referee in 24 years.
Zhou Fei and VAR official Fu Ming assisted, forming the first Chinese officiating trio at the match.
Curaçao earned its first World Cup point with a 0-0 draw as goalkeeper Eloy Room made 15 saves.
FIFA named Ma Ning fourth official for England-Ghana on June 24 after he served in six 2022 Qatar matches, the last Chinese lead being Lu Jun in 2002.

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