Tori Penso Makes History as First Female Referee to Officiate 2026 World Cup Match

American referee Tori Penso made history on June 18, 2026, when she became the first female referee to officiate a main match at a FIFA World Cup. Penso led an all-female refereeing team—including assistants Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt, both also from the United States—for the Group Stage match between Czechia and South Africa in Atlanta. The match was significant not only for marking this milestone but also for continuing the progress toward gender inclusion in football's highest competition.

At 39 years old, Penso brought substantial experience to the role. In 2020, she became the first woman in two decades to referee a Major League Soccer match, establishing herself within professional football. She gained international prominence in 2023 when she became the first American female referee to officiate a World Cup final, commanding the Women's World Cup championship between Spain and England in Sydney. Her selection for the 2026 Men's World Cup reflected her consistent performance in international competitions and recent assignments, including matches such as Argentina versus Venezuela and Bolivia versus Algeria.

The inclusion of female referees in the 2026 World Cup reflects a broader shift toward gender representation in football governance. Six women were selected for the tournament's refereeing roster, filling roles as central referees, assistants, and video officials. This number—while historic—represented approximately 3.5% of the 170-person refereeing staff, which included 52 central referees, 88 assistants, and 30 video officials drawn from six confederations and 50 national associations. The milestone built upon precedent from the 2022 Qatar World Cup, when French referee Stéphanie Frappart led the first all-female refereeing team at a men's World Cup, officiating Germany versus Costa Rica with Brazilian Neuza Back and Mexican Karen Díaz Medina as assistants.

Among the six female referees selected for 2026, Mexican referee Katia Itzel García served as the other central referee. At 33 years old, García began her sports career as a player before transitioning to refereeing in 2016 due to structural limitations in women's football. She received Mexico's National Sports Award in the arbitration category in 2024 and was ranked the sixth-best referee globally by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics in 2025. The selection criteria for all referees emphasized performance quality, with the FIFA evaluating professional judgment across national and international competitions during the preparation cycle.

The presence of female referees in decision-making positions at the World Cup underscored a significant evolution in professional football governance, though advocates recognized that reaching proportional representation remained a long-term objective.