Tears of joy! Ma Ning finally fulfills his dream after four years, apologizing for not officiating as the main referee in the last World Cup: "I let my countrymen down."

On June 17th, Beijing time, FIFA officially announced the latest referee assignments for the second round of the group stage. The 47-year-old celebrated Chinese referee, Ma Ning, has been appointed as the main referee for the Ecuador vs. Curaçao match, with Zhou Fei serving as an assistant referee. This is Ma Ning's first time officiating a World Cup match as the main referee, and it also marks the first time in 24 years that a Chinese referee has taken on this role at the World Cup.

The match will take place at 8:00 a.m. Beijing time on June 21st. Chinese fans can witness Ma Ning's debut as a main referee at the World Cup during the prime morning hours.

As a "Golden Whistle" in the Chinese Super League, Ma Ning has already earned a very high status in domestic and even Asian football circles. However, it is regrettable that he has consistently missed the opportunity to serve as the main referee on top-tier events like the World Cup.

During the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Ma Ning was selected for the tournament's referee lineup. He participated in officiating six group stage matches and even contributed a memorable scene of an intense confrontation with Van Gaal during the Netherlands match.

Unfortunately, Ma Ning only served as the fourth official during the last World Cup and did not officiate any matches as the main referee. The Chinese referee team ultimately failed to make the knockout stage officiating lineup.

After returning to China following the World Cup, Ning released a social media post saying: "I'm sorry for letting everyone (my countrymen) down! Face the gap, find shortcomings accumlate experience, summarize and press forward with determination!"

After four years of effort, Ma Ning's abilities have been further recognized. Over these four years, he has not only officiated the AFC Champions League final and the Asian Cup final but also appeared at the Club World Cup.

Finally, he has gained the favor of FIFA and will officiate a World Cup match as the main referee for the first time. Under the shadow of the Chinese national team's 24-year absence from the World Cup, Ma Ning's presence on the World Cup stage undoubtedly makes him a pride of Chinese football.