Atlanta, Georgia – When Czechia and South Africa stepped onto the pitch at Atlanta Stadium on June 18 for their Group A fixture, the match carried significance beyond the 1-1 draw that ultimately unfolded. For the first time in the tournament’s history, an all-American, all-female refereeing crew took charge of a men’s FIFA World Cup match. […]
Atlanta, Georgia – When Czechia and South Africa stepped onto the pitch at Atlanta Stadium on June 18 for their Group A fixture, the match carried significance beyond the 1-1 draw that ultimately unfolded. For the first time in the tournament's history, an all-American, all-female refereeing crew took charge of a men's FIFA World Cup match.
Referee Tori Penso, 39, alongside assistant referees Brooke Mayo, 37, and Kathryn Nesbitt, 38, formed the officiating team that presided over the Group A clash. The trio, all from the United States, became only the second all-female on-field crew to officiate a men's World Cup match, following French referee Stéphanie Frappart's landmark achievement at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The appointment represents a significant milestone for Penso personally: she is the first American woman to serve as head referee in a men's World Cup match. Her journey to this moment began on youth fields in California, where she started refereeing at age 13. Before committing fully to officiating, Penso studied digital marketing and worked for major corporations including Coca-Cola and Red Bull. The turning point came in 2013 when she returned to her passion for soccer.
A Path Forged Through Major Tournaments
Penso's resume before the 2026 World Cup included officiating the U20 Women's World Cup final, working five matches at the 2023 Women's World Cup—including the final between Spain and England—and becoming the only female referee assigned to two matches at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. In 2020, she broke ground in Major League Soccer as the first female referee in the league in two decades.
Mayo and Nesbitt have walked a similar path. The three officiated together previously, serving as the first all-female on-field crew for a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final in October 2025. They also worked the 2023 Women's World Cup final as a unit.
A Broader Push for Representation
Penso is not the only woman breaking barriers at this year's tournament. Mexican referee Katia Itzel Garcia has also been appointed by FIFA to officiate matches, marking the first time female referees from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean have officiated at the men's World Cup. Garcia will become the first Mexican woman to serve as a lead referee in a men's World Cup match.
Overall, FIFA selected six women among the 170 match officials for the 2026 tournament—the largest officiating contingent in World Cup history, with 41 more officials than at Qatar 2022. The six women include Penso, Garcia, Mayo, Nesbitt, Nicaraguan Video Match Official Tatiana Guzman, and Mexican assistant referee Sandra Ramirez.
Pierluigi Collina, FIFA's Chief Refereeing Officer, noted that the appointments reflect a "quality first" principle, with selection based on performance at FIFA tournaments and in international and domestic competitions over recent years. "The selected match officials are the very best in the world," Collina said.
The Match Itself
On the field, the Czechia-South Africa contest delivered its own drama. Czechia struck early through Michal Sadilek in the sixth minute, with the goal clocking in as the fastest of the tournament so far at five minutes and eight seconds. South Africa responded in the 83rd minute when Teboho Mokoena converted a penalty to level the score. The draw gave both sides their first point of the tournament after opening-match defeats.
But the officiating crew remained the story. For Penso, the assignment carried personal weight. Speaking about the milestone, she reflected: "I know that I am writing a story that one day my daughters will read, and I hope to inspire women all over the world".
Building on Recent Progress
The 2026 tournament builds on momentum established four years ago. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, six female officials were appointed—three referees and three assistants. Frappart became the first woman to referee a men's World Cup match during the Poland-Mexico group stage, and later led the first all-women crew for Germany-Costa Rica.
Kari Seitz, who served as FIFA's head of refereeing before becoming senior vice president of refereeing for U.S. Soccer, has been instrumental in advancing opportunities for women officials. Seitz, who worked four World Cups as a referee—a record for any official, male or female—made it her mission at FIFA to ensure women had pathways to the highest levels. "Truthfully, we should have more women at this World Cup than we do," Seitz said. "So we've got to keep fighting".
What Happens Next
The 2026 World Cup features 48 teams and 104 matches across three host countries, the largest edition in the tournament's history. Penso and Garcia are expected to receive additional assignments as the group stage progresses. For the all-American crew, their historic appearance in Atlanta represents not an endpoint but a continuation of a longer trajectory toward gender parity in football officiating.
As Collina emphasized, the goal is to ensure officials are in optimal physical and mental condition throughout the tournament, with daily training sessions and comprehensive support from fitness coaches and medical staff. With technology including goal-line systems, semi-automated offside, and connected ball technology supporting decision-making, the tournament's officials face unprecedented scrutiny—and opportunity.
For Penso, Mayo, and Nesbitt, the path from domestic matches to the World Cup stage reflects a broader shift in the sport: competence, not gender, is increasingly the defining criterion for football's top officiating roles.
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