WORLD CUP 2026 referee Tori Penso is one of the leading officials in the game.
And she is set to become just the second female referee in history to officiate a men’s World Cup match.
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Tori Penso will become the first American woman to referee a men’s World Cup match Credit: Getty
World Cup 2026 – all the info
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This year’s World Cup is like no other as a record-breaking 48 nations compete to lift football’s biggest prize.
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Who is Tori Penso?
Tori Penso is American football referee from Florida.
In 2020, she became the first woman to referee an MLS match in over 20 years.
Penso began her refereeing career at the age of 14 – where she started reffing both boys’ and girls’ games.
Not only was this a way of income for the then teenager, it also opened the door to a great opportunity – earning her an invitation to a refereeing camp run by the Olympic Development Program in Texas.
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At the time, Penso was playing football while also studying for a university degree in marketing – and she did not yet view refereeing as a potential job.
She told FIFA.com: ”There were no full-time female referees in the States, and so I didn’t really see it as a career.
”I did understand, though, that it was more than just a temporary job for me, and that maybe it would enable me to get to know my country a bit better, and maybe even the world.”
Penso later made the decision to give up her job at an advertising agency in favour for refereeing.
In 2021, she made history once again – becoming the first woman to referee a FIFA World Cup qualifying match.
A year later, in 2022, Penso took charge of five FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup matches in Costa Rica, including one of the semi-finals.
Is Tori Penso married and does she have any children?
Tori Penso is married to fellow referee Chris Penso.
The couple share three daughters.
How long has Tori Penso been a referee?
As mentioned above Penso was introduced to world of refereeing during her youth.
In 2021, Penso, a leading offical in the game, became a FIFA-rated referee.
As of August 2023, the trailblazing referee has taken charge of four matches at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
She was chosen to officiate the highly-anticipated England vs Australia semi-final on August 16, 2023.
Penso then was in the middle for the Women’s World Cup final between Spain and England.
She has now been selected for the 2026 World Cup, where she is one of two female on-pitch referees.
Her first match is between South Africa and Czech Republic, becoming just the second official in charge of a men’s World Cup game.
France’s Stephanie Frappart was the first, when he officiated Germany vs Costa Rica at World Cup 2022.
Who else is officiating alongside Tori Penso at World Cup 2026?
Penso will not be on her own at the tournament.
Alongside her will be fellow Americans Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt, who will be on assistant duties.
New Zealand’s Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh is the fourth official.
The video assistant referees (VAR) include Tatiana Guzman (VAR), Joe Dickerson (assistant VAR), Mohammed Obaid Khadim (support VAR) and Isaac Trevis (reserve assistant referee).
New World Cup 2026 rules
FIFA confirmed several new rules coming into play for the World Cup 2026.
They are:
Outfield players cannot go to technical areas while goalkeeper getting treatment
Five-second countdowns for goal-kicks and throw-ins
Ten-second substitutions – or else one-minute sub entry delay
One minute off field after outfield players get treatment
Three-minute hydration breaks in each half
VAR can intervene over fouls before ball in play for goals, penalties and disciplinary sanctions
VAR can correct wrongly-awarded yellow cards and corners
Red cards for covering mouth in confrontational talk
Red cards for walking off pitch in protest
