Overview
- FIFA assigned Tori Penso as the lead referee for the Czech Republic vs South Africa group-stage match on Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Atlanta.
- Penso will be the first American woman to referee a men’s World Cup match and only the second woman to do so after France’s Stéphanie Frappart in 2022.
- The on-field crew is all U.S. and all women, with Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt named as assistant referees, and Mayo has publicly confirmed she is gay.
- Mayo’s confirmation makes her the first openly out on-field match official at a men’s FIFA World Cup, a milestone many outlets link to broader visibility for LGBTQ+ people in elite men’s football.
- Penso’s selection is grounded in experience — she has been on FIFA’s international list since 2021, works in MLS and the USL Championship, and refereed the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final — and the match carries added focus because South Africa enter under pressure after a 2-0 loss and suspensions to two midfielders.