Referee Tori Penso creates history;leads the first all womens officiating trio in the World Cup
This is the second time a men's World Cup match has been officiated by an all-female on-field team.
XtraTime Newsdesk: The match between Czechia and South Africa on Thursday was shorn of big and memorable moments yet referee Tori Penso and assistant referees Kathryn Nesbitt and Brooke Mayo created history by being the first all women 's all officiating trio in this edition of the World Cup.
This is the second time a men's World Cup match has been officiated by an all-female on-field team. The first instance occurred in Qatar during the 2022 World Cup where France's Stephanie Frappart was joined by assistant referees Neuza Back of Brazil and Karen Diaz Medina of Mexico for the group-stage match between Costa Rica and Germany. Just six women—two referees, three assistant referees, and one VAR official—of the 170 match officials FIFA appointed for the 2026 competition have been chosen for the biggest football competition in the world.
The trio are no strangers to breaking barriers together. They became the first American officiating crew to oversee a FIFA World Cup final when they worked the 2023 Women's World Cup final between Spain and England. In 2025, they also became the first all-female on-field crew to officiate the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final, when they took charge for the match between Austin FC and Nashville SC.
At the centre of the historic crew is Penso, a Florida native who began refereeing at 14 to earn some extra money. Away from football, she built a career in digital marketing, working with major brands before later also serving as an adjunct professor at the University of South Florida.
Penso's rise through the refereeing ranks has been equally impressive. She made her National Women's Soccer League debut in 2015 and, in 2020, became the first woman in two decades to referee a Major League Soccer match. Her performances earned her a FIFA badge in 2021 and appointments at major tournaments, including the 2023 Women's World Cup final and the Paris Olympics. The Czechia-South Africa fixture added another first to her growing list of achievements.
Assistant referee Kathryn "Katy" Nesbitt brings one of the most unusual backgrounds in world football officiating. She holds a PhD in analytical chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh and previously worked as an assistant professor, researching brain chemistry and neurological processes.
Nesbitt eventually chose refereeing as a full-time career and has become one of the most respected assistant referees in the game. She earned her FIFA badge in 2016 and was selected for multiple Women's World Cups and Olympic Games
Mayo completes the historic trio with a background that combines playing, coaching and officiating. A Texas native, she played Division I football at Tennessee Tech University before spending several years as a physical education teacher and coach of a high-school football team.
Mayo earned a place on FIFA's international panel in 2018 and has steadily risen through the ranks. She has officiated at the Women's World Cup, the Olympic Games and the FIFA Club World Cup, while also becoming a familiar presence in domestic American competitions.
(Photo Courtesy: Concacaf/Twitter)
