More than just referees: Penso, Nesbitt and Mayo take center stage to make World Cup history
The Times Of India June 19, 2026 06:39 AM
When Czechia and South Africa walked out for their 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A match onto the pitch at Atlanta Stadium on Thursday, the three officials who oversaw the match were not just referees, they were history-makers.
Referee Tori Penso, alongside assistant referees Kathryn Nesbitt and Brooke Mayo, became only the second all-female on-field officiating crew to oversee a men's World Cup match. And in a beautiful twist of national pride, their appointment also marked the first time an entirely American refereeing trio officiated a men's World Cup fixture.
Tori Penso: The Marketing Pro Who Became a World Cup Trailblazer
Leading the historic crew was Tori Penso, whose journey into officiating began as a teenager in Florida, initially taking up refereeing at the age of 14 as a way to earn extra income. That part-time hustle eventually became something far bigger. Penso later established a successful career in digital marketing and also worked as a university lecturer, steadily climbing through football's officiating ranks while balancing multiple professional commitments.
Her rise has been nothing short of remarkable. Her breakthrough came in 2020 when she became the first woman in nearly two decades to referee a Major League Soccer match. After receiving her FIFA badge in 2021, Penso was selected for some of football's biggest events, including the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup final and the Paris Olympic Games. On Thursday in Atlanta, she became the first American woman to referee a men's FIFA World Cup match.
Kathryn Nesbitt: The Scientist Who Chose Football Over the Lab
Assistant referee Kathryn Nesbitt brings one of the most unique stories in international football. Before becoming a full-time official, Nesbitt built an academic career in science, earning a doctorate in analytical chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh and working in research and teaching, focusing on neurological and brain-related studies. Her passion for the game, however, proved stronger than the pull of academia. Since earning FIFA accreditation in 2016, Nesbitt has officiated at multiple Women's World Cups and Olympic tournaments. She had already made history in Qatar four years ago, becoming the first woman to serve as an assistant referee in a men's World Cup knockout-stage match during England's Round of 16 encounter against Senegal.
Brooke Mayo: Breaking Barriers On and Off the Pitch
Completing the trio was Texas native Brooke Mayo, whose football journey has included playing, coaching and officiating. She played collegiate football before working as a physical education teacher and high-school coach, before transitioning fully into refereeing. Mayo joined FIFA's international refereeing panel in 2018 and has worked at major tournaments including the Women's World Cup, Olympic Games and FIFA Club World Cup, with her achievements recognised in 2025 when she received U.S. Soccer's Female Referee of the Year award.
This is not the first time women have stood on this particular stage. Their selection continues FIFA's efforts to increase representation at the highest level of the sport and follows the trailblazing example set at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when France's Stephanie Frappart, Brazil's Neuza Back and Mexico's Karen Diaz Medina became the first all-women refereeing team to officiate a men's World Cup match.
The trio are already familiar with making history together - in 2023, they became the first American officiating team to work a FIFA World Cup final when they oversaw the Women's World Cup title match between Spain and England, and added another milestone in 2025 by becoming the first all-female crew to officiate the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final.
