Thu, Jun 18 10:09 AM

China isn’t at the World Cup, so soccer-loving fans are cheering for a ref instead

NBC News•Thu, Jun 18, 2026, 10:01 AM•2 min read

For soccer fans like Miko Zhang, China’s failure to qualify for this year’s FIFA World Cup is almost beside the point.

Source: [NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/world/china/china-world-cup-fans-referee-ma-ning-messi-rcna350471)

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