Overview
- FIFA appointed Tori Penso to referee the Group A match between the Czech Republic and South Africa, which is set for Thursday, June 18, 2026.
- Penso has been on FIFA’s international referee list since 2021 and regularly officiates in Major League Soccer and the USL Championship.
- She led the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final, becoming the first American to head a World Cup final referee crew.
- Penso is the first American woman and only the second woman overall to referee a men’s World Cup match, following France’s Stéphanie Frappart in 2022.
- The appointment carries home‑turf resonance for the U.S. and could further normalize female officials at the top level as South Africa enters the match under pressure after a 2-0 loss to Mexico and with two suspended midfielders.