Tori Penso’s historic appearance at the 2026 Men’s World Cup has placed the spotlight on the growing role of women in football officiating, as the American referee continues to challenge long-standing assumptions about who belongs at the centre of the sport’s biggest matches.
Weeks before her 40th birthday, Penso became the first American woman and only the second woman in history to referee a men’s World Cup match.
She also led the first all-American, all-female officiating crew to oversee matches at the tournament, taking charge of group-stage fixtures involving South Africa and the Czech Republic, as well as Ecuador and Germany.
The breakthrough adds to a series of milestones in Penso’s career. She was the first American referee to officiate a senior Women’s World Cup final in 2023 and is Major League Soccer’s first full-time female referee.
Yet despite the progress, women remain a small minority among the sport’s top officials. Only six of the 170 referees selected for this year’s World Cup were women.
For Penso, however, her achievement is about more than personal recognition. She believes every appearance at the highest level can help create opportunities for the next generation of female officials.
“Women belong in sport, in boardrooms, and places where maybe they haven’t historically had a seat,” she said.
Her World Cup assignments placed her at the centre of high-pressure moments, including a controversial handball decision that resulted in a penalty for South Africa and a disputed decision during Ecuador’s match against Germany.
Across the two games, Penso booked seven players and repeatedly relied on communication to manage tensions on the field.
A video of her calmly confronting a Czech player went viral online, attracting millions of views. Penso said the exchange was not about asserting authority because she was a woman, but about demanding respect for match officials.
She said her confidence in handling such situations was built over decades of experience, having started refereeing at the age of 14.
Penso also sees her role as an example for her three daughters and young girls watching football around the world.
She said her daughters are her motivation and hopes her presence on the pitch will encourage girls to be confident, take up space and pursue opportunities traditionally dominated by men.
Her journey has not been free of criticism. Like many high-profile referees, she has faced intense online scrutiny, including misogynistic comments questioning her ability and appearance.
Penso said she does not allow such criticism to define her, choosing instead to listen to mentors, coaches and experienced officials whose opinions she values.
The American referee believes the path to greater gender diversity in officiating must begin at grassroots level through better access, more opportunities and a rejection of assumptions about women’s abilities.
She also hopes the expansion of major tournaments could create additional opportunities for officials from underrepresented backgrounds.
While Penso has spent the past two years working primarily in men’s football, she says officiating the men’s and women’s games requires different approaches because of differences in the physicality, pace and dynamics of the matches.
As she prepares for the next Women’s World Cup in Brazil, Penso and other officials will continue studying the women’s game and the players involved.
Her journey, however, has already delivered a wider message: the presence of women at football’s highest levels is becoming harder to dismiss—and, Penso hopes, one day will no longer be considered extraordinary.
