Ma Mingyu predominantly played for top tier Chinese club Sichuan Guancheng where he spent several spells with them throughout his football career.

In his first spell with them he would attract attention from Guangdong Hongyuan after Ma had a prolific 1994 league season that saw him play 21 games and score 3 goals.

With Ma firmly established as a permanent fixture within Sichuan's left midfield and becoming a member of the Chinese national team he would attract attention from Italian team Perugia Calcio in the Serie A in the 2000–01 season.

As an attacking left-footed midfielder Ma Mingyu would break into the senior team on 30 January 1996, when he made his debut in a qualifier for the 1996 AFC Asian Cup against Macau in a 7–1 victory.

At the end of the campaign, he had become an integral member of the Chinese team and when Bora Milutinović came in as the new head coach Ma Mingyu would be named as his captain.