This marks the third time he has officiated in the tournament! The 47-year-old Ma Ning will serve as the fourth official for the high-profile match France vs. Norway, working alongside a renowned Premier League referee.

On the evening of June 23, Beijing time, FIFA revealed the updated referee arrangements for the World Cup group matches. The 47-year-old Chinese official Ma Ning will take on the role of fourth official in the decisive third-round encounter between France and Norway, marking his third assignment in the competition. Zhou Fei will serve as the standby assistant referee, while the lead referee is English Premier League official Michael Oliver.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 3:00 AM Beijing time on June 27. Both France and Norway have already secured their spots in the knockout stage with two consecutive wins, so this game will determine the group winner. Ma Ning is likely to appear alongside superstars like Haaland and Mbappé during the match.

Earlier, Ma Ning served as the main referee for the second-round match between Curacao and Ecuador, marking the first time in his career that he officiated as the lead referee in a World Cup match.

In that game, Ma Ning issued six yellow cards and decisively spotted a simulation (dive) by Ecuador in stoppage time, denying a last-minute penalty. This decision received widespread praise from fans both in China and abroad.

With two three-minute water breaks during the match, the added time for the first and second halves was only four and five minutes respectively, demonstrating the smooth flow of the game.

Furthermore, Ma Ning will also serve as the fourth official for the second-round group match between England and Ghana in this World Cup. During the previous Qatar World Cup, Ma Ning participated as a fourth official in six matches.

Attached: Referee lineup for this match

Main Referee: Michael Oliver

Assistant Referees: Stuart Burt, James Mainwaring

Fourth Official: Ma Ning

Reserve Assistant Referee: Zhou Fei