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FIFA World Cup 2026 spotlight: Ma Ning – AFC Referee

FIFA World Cup 2026 spotlight: Ma Ning – AFC Referee

Kuala Lumpur: A total of 25 match officials are set to represent the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) at the upcoming FIFA World Cup, which will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
Ahead of their campaign on the world’s grandest stage, the-AFC.com caught up with the officials who will be blowing the whistle in the 2026 edition of the global showpiece.
Ma Ning at a glance

 

The 2026 edition will mark Ma Ning’s second appointment to the FIFA World Cup after being called up in Qatar in 2022.

 

Since earning his FIFA badge in 2011, Ma has been a trailblazer in his own right and in 2023 became the first referee from China PR to take charge of the final match of the AFC Asian Cup 2023™.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Match Officials - Ma Ning

FIFA World Cup 2026 Match Officials - Ma Ning

Besides his two consecutive showings at Asia’s premier men’s national team competition, the 46-year-old has remained a constant in AFC competitions, with appointments across 10 seasons of the AFC Champions League Elite™ and eight editions of the AFC Champions League Two™ since 2012.
On the domestic stage, Ma’s career has been just as impressive, with matches officiated in China PR, as well as the domestic league in the United Arab Emirates.
Unsurprisingly, the Fuxin-born referee is more than familiar with high-profile competitions and was most recently appointed to the FIFA Arab Cup in 2025 and FIFA Club World Cup in 2025.