{"id":11625,"date":"2026-06-16T03:19:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T07:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiorebelde.cu\/english\/?p=11625"},"modified":"2026-06-16T03:19:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T07:19:03","slug":"tori-penso-to-become-second-woman-referee-in-mens-world-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.radiorebelde.cu\/english\/tori-penso-to-become-second-woman-referee-in-mens-world-cup-16062026\/","title":{"rendered":"Tori Penso to Become Second Woman Referee in Men\u2019s World Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The FIFA Referees Committee confirmed on June 15 that Tori Penso will take charge of the Group A clash between the Czech Republic and South Africa in the World Cup 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This appointment marks a significant step forward in the representation of women in football officiating, following in the footsteps of French referee St\u00e9phanie Frappart, who made history at Qatar 2022 by overseeing the Germany vs. Costa Rica match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RELATED: Uruguay Salvages Dramatic Draw Against Saudi Arabia in World Cup 2026<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Penso\u2019s career has been defined by breaking barriers. In 2020, she became the first woman in over two decades to referee a Major League Soccer (MLS) match. Her consistent performance earned her a place on FIFA\u2019s international referees panel in 2021, opening the door to assignments on the global stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By 2023, she was entrusted with officiating the Women\u2019s World Cup final in Oceania, where Spain defeated England. That same year, she also led the first all-female officiating crew in a men\u2019s Concacaf competition, further cementing her reputation as a pioneer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women on the Field<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For the upcoming match, Tori Penso will be supported by fellow U.S. assistants Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt, forming a trio of women at the forefront of officiating. Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh will serve as the fourth official, completing the team tasked with ensuring fair play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Czech Republic and South Africa enter the fixture under pressure, both having lost their opening matches\u2014Czech Republic falling 2-1 to South Korea, and South Africa suffering a 2-0 defeat against Mexico. While the stakes are high for the teams, the spotlight will undoubtedly shine on Penso and her crew, whose presence symbolizes progress in a traditionally male-dominated arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her appointment is not only a recognition of her technical expertise but also a powerful statement about inclusivity in football. As FIFA continues to emphasize diversity and equality, Penso\u2019s role underscores the growing acceptance of women in positions of authority within the sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The significance of Penso\u2019s assignment extends beyond the pitch. It represents a cultural shift in football, where women are increasingly visible in leadership roles. For aspiring female referees worldwide, her achievement serves as both inspiration and validation that excellence, not gender, defines capability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the world watches the Czech Republic and South Africa battle for crucial points, millions will also witness history being made by Tori Penso.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The FIFA Referees Committee confirmed on June 15 that Tori Penso will take charge of the Group A clash between the Czech Republic and South Africa in the World Cup… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11626,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[8],"class_list":["post-11625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"authors":[{"term_id":8,"user_id":1,"is_guest":0,"slug":"yolaunicaquehay","display_name":"RRebeldeAdminWP","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e6145d63ff95c9a0f0e53b7149804b1faf86748d6cc15f466103269a288ea377?s=96&d=mm&r=g","0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.radiorebelde.cu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11625","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.radiorebelde.cu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.radiorebelde.cu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.radiorebelde.cu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.radiorebelde.cu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11625"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.radiorebelde.cu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11625\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11627,"href":"https:\/\/www.radiorebelde.cu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11625\/revisions\/11627"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.radiorebelde.cu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11626"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.radiorebelde.cu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11625"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.radiorebelde.cu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11625"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.radiorebelde.cu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11625"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.radiorebelde.cu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=11625"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}