Tori Penso becomes first American woman referee at men's World Cup

Tori Penso is set to make some history this summer when the men’s World Cup comes to North America. The 39-year-old from Florida is in line to become the first American woman to referee a game in the men’s World Cup. Penso was one of the 52 referees — along with 88 assistant referees and 30 video match officials — that FIFA announced will work World Cup games on Thursday.

While Penso will be the first American woman to work as the lead referee on a men's World Cup game, Kathryn Nesbitt was the first to work a men's World Cup match in an official capacity, serving as a video assistant referee in Qatar in 2022. Nesbitt will be an assistant referee in this World Cup. In 2022, France's Stéphanie Frappart became the first woman to referee a men’s World Cup match.

Penso has been working as a soccer referee since 2013, officiating games in Major League Soccer and the National Women’s Soccer League. She was just the fourth woman to referee an MLS match. Last September, she was the lead official on an all-women refereeing crew for the U.

S. Open Cup. Last year, she was also one of 35 referees to work the FIFA Club World Cup.