She awarded the penalty that changed the match… and no one could say a thing. 👀⚽️ For the first time in the history of a men’s World Cup, all three referees on the field were women. ⚽️
Tori Penso, 39, born in Stuart, Florida, led the match between Czechia and South Africa on June 18 in Atlanta alongside her assistants Brooke Mayo and Katie Nesbitt. She was not just the face of the match: she was the protagonist of the decisive moment. After reviewing the VAR, she awarded the penalty that gave South Africa the 1-1 equalizer. Without hesitation. 🌎
Penso has spent years racking up milestones: in 2020 she became the first woman to referee the MLS regular season in more than two decades, in 2021 she officiated the Concacaf qualifiers, and in 2023 she refereed the Women’s World Cup final.
Before all this, she worked in marketing for Coca-Cola and Red Bull. Now she has Ecuador vs. Germany on her schedule for June 25 at MetLife. 🏆 What do you think about women joining the refereeing team at the 2026 World Cup?
