Who Is Tori Penso? First American Woman Referee to Officiate a Match at FIFA Men's World Cup

Tori Penso became the first American woman to referee a senior men’s FIFA World Cup match, officiating Czechia vs South Africa. She is only the second woman ever to do so, after a career including the Women’s World Cup final and Major League Soccer matches.

History was made at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday night, Indian time. Tori Penso became the first American woman to referee a senior men's World Cup match. She was the one with the whistle during the game between Czechia and South Africa.

And she did a fantastic job! The match went off smoothly without any controversies. Penso managed the game with a smile, and you couldn't tell it was her first time refereeing a men's World Cup match. After such a good performance, she might get to referee more games in the future.

Who is this referee?

Tori Penso was born in Florida, USA, and has become one of the most respected referees in international football. Her skills have caught everyone's attention. In 2020, she got her first chance to referee a Major League Soccer (MLS) match, becoming the first woman to do so in 20 years. Since then, she has been getting one big match after another, and now she has even refereed a men's World Cup game.

By officiating in a FIFA Men's World Cup match, Tori Penso became the second woman, after Stephanie Frappart of France, to serve as an on-pitch referee at a men's FIFA World Cup tournament.

Penso Referee Credentials 

Penso had already made history as the first US referee to officiate a FIFA Women's World Cup Final. She was in charge of the 2023 final between Spain and England. Now, she has set a new record. Penso is one of only two women referees in the current World Cup, alongside Stephanie Frappart. 

Tori Penso went on to officiate major tournaments, including the 2023 and 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, and the 2024 Paris Olympics. She also officiated the 2021 FIFA Men's World Cup Qualifiers and the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. At the domestic level, the 39-year-old officiates the Major League Soccer, National Women's Soccer League, and USL Championship.

She will be turning 40 on July 8. The way she is handling matches, FIFA might give her even more responsibility in the future. It's great to see, especially since so many women follow men's football and go to stadiums. Having a woman referee on the field is definitely a big encouragement for them.