Trailblazing Female Referee Champions Women in Sports
WHO:
CNN - Tori Penso, a referee, is the first American woman and the second woman ever to referee a men’s World Cup match.
CNN - Penso has three daughters.
CNN - Piero Hincapié, an Ecuadorian international and Arsenal star, was one of the players booked by Penso.
WHAT:
Daily Herald - Tori Penso was the head referee on a crew of three American women, including assistants Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt, who worked two games during the tournament.
Daily Herald - Katia Itzel García from Mexico was the center referee for the Tunisia-vs.-Netherlands game in the group stage.
Daily Herald - Penso issued a yellow card to Germany's Aleksandar Pavlovic during the World Cup Group E soccer match between Ecuador and Germany.
CNN - Penso led the first all-American, all-female officiating crew in the history of the men’s World Cup.
CNN - Penso was the head referee for two men’s FIFA World Cup matches.
CNN - Only six (or 3.5%) of the 170 officials selected for the tournament were women.
CNN - Penso booked seven players in total across the two matches she officiated.
CNN - An Instagram reel of Penso speaking to a Czech player went viral, accumulating more than 26 million views and 2 million likes.
CNN - Penso officiated the 2023 Women’s World Cup final between Spain and England.
WHERE:
CNN - The matches Penso officiated took place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
CNN - The matches included teams from South Africa, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, and Germany.
WHEN:
CNN - Penso's officiating of the men’s World Cup matches occurred during the summer.
CNN - The FIFA World Cup is set to take place in 2026 in Brazil.
CNN - The 2030 World Cup is proposed to be co-hosted by Morocco, Portugal, and Spain.
WHY:
Daily Herald - Penso noted that research shows one in two girls leave sport because of self-confidence issues, and she hopes her presence on the pitch can challenge those perceptions.
CNN - Penso aims to inspire young girls to believe in themselves and challenge societal perceptions about women in sports.
CNN - Penso believes that her presence on the pitch sends a message of strength and confidence to young girls.
HOW:
Daily Herald - Penso emphasized the importance of "drawing a line in the sand" before the next play spirals out of control, stating that the confidence to engage with players requires decades of experience to develop.
CNN - Penso engages with players to defuse tensions and explain her decisions during matches.
CNN - Referees, including Penso, gather daily to review footage and debate decisions to achieve consistency.
(UPDATED July 25, 2026 01:25 UTC)
Tori Penso led a crew of three American women referees during the tournament, including assistants Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt, and she issued a yellow card to Germany's Aleksandar Pavlovic in the World Cup Group E match between Ecuador and Germany. Katia Itzel García from Mexico served as the center referee for the group stage game between Tunisia and the Netherlands. Penso highlighted the need to "draw a line in the sand" to maintain control during matches and expressed her hope that her visibility on the pitch can help combat the self-confidence issues that lead many girls to leave sports.
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(UPDATED July 24, 2026 19:29 UTC)
Tori Penso has made history as the first American woman and only the second woman ever to referee a men’s World Cup match, leading an all-American, all-female officiating crew at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. During her two matches, Penso booked seven players, including Ecuadorian international Piero Hincapié, and her engaging officiating style even went viral on social media, with an Instagram reel of her speaking to a Czech player racking up over 26 million views. Penso, who has three daughters, hopes to inspire young girls to believe in themselves and challenge societal perceptions about women in sports, emphasizing that her presence on the pitch sends a powerful message of strength and confidence.