▲ Referee Tori Penso issues a yellow card to Austin FC's Besard Sabovic (No. 14) during the second half of an MLS match between Austin FC and LA Galaxy at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas, on April 11, 2026.
For the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup, female referee Tori Penso (USA) has been assigned to officiate the Group A match between the Czech Republic and South Africa, which will take place at Atlanta Stadium in Georgia, USA, on June 19 at 1:00 a.m. (KST).
ESPN reported that this marks the second time a female referee has officiated a match at the men's World Cup.
The first female referee at a men's World Cup was Stéphanie Frappart (France), who officiated the group stage match between Germany and Costa Rica at the 2022 Qatar tournament.
Penso began refereeing at the age of 14 to earn pocket money. Although she once worked in the advertising industry, she later transitioned to becoming a full-time referee.
After becoming the first female referee in Major League Soccer (MLS) in September 2020, Penso joined the FIFA international referee panel in 2021, officiating men's tournaments organized by CONCACAF and FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.
(Photo: Getty Images Korea)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.