New Delhi: Czechia and South Africa fought for a 1-1 hard-earned draw in the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Atlanta Stadium on Thursday. The second match of Group A, which saw three yellow cards, was officiated by the only all-female on-field refereeing trio selected for this edition of the tournament.
Tori Penso, Brooke Mayo, and Kathryn Nesbitt made history on Thursday. This is the second time an all-female on-field team officiated a men’s World Cup match. The first occurrence came during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Of 170 total match officials appointed by FIFA for the 2026 tournament, only six women—two referees, three assistant referees, and one VAR official—have been selected for the world’s biggest football tournament.
Who are they?
Tori Penso: Born in Stuart, Florida, the American referee became only the second woman in history to take charge of a men’s FIFA World Cup match. She has been clinical in officiating previous top-notch matches, with the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final between Spain and England being the feather in her cap. She was also the first woman to officiate an MLS match in more than two decades and the first American woman to referee a men’s World Cup match.
Brooke Mayo: Mayo, an assistant referee from the US, began her career when she was a teenager and rose through the ranks of American soccer. She was part of the officiating team for the 2023 Women’s World Cup final and was named US Soccer Female Referee of the Year in 2026. Her appearance in Atlanta also made her the first openly LGBTQ+ official to work at a men’s FIFA World Cup.
Kathryn Nesbitt: Nesbitt’s journey to the World Cup is unusual. Before becoming a full-time official, she worked as a chemist and microbiologist in the US. She was one of the female assistant referees selected for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and later worked the 2023 Women’s World Cup final alongside Penso and Mayo.
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‘Her performance was flawless’
On social media, this development was hailed as a historic move.
“An all woman referee trio is officiating Czechia vs South Africa They made history as the only all female referee team at FIFA World Cup 2026,” an X user Lordy ONX posted.
Another X user was sure that there would be more action from the trio in the upcoming World Cup matches.
“Tori Penso is the second female referee to lead a men game in the World Cup. Her performance today was flawless, she’s 10/10 in my opinion and I am sure we will see her more in this World Cup,” X user Ouday Hanosh said.
However, it was not all praise for the three on-field referees. Few believed they made a horrendous mistake in the 82nd minute. With Czechia leading 1-0, South African forward Thapelo Maseko drove inside and took a long shot from 18 yards out. The ball struck the arm of Czech midfielder Pavel Šulc inside the penalty box. Penso immediately pointed to the penalty spot, drawing criticism from fans and analysts who labeled the call ‘harsh’.
“Czech Republic is a soulless team which puts 11 men in their own box the second that they score a goal. That said, this female referee is an absolute disaster and hopefully this experiment is over in this World Cup,” an X user posted.