The World Cup has had a historic day for women’s refereeing. Two women are in charge of officiating two matches in the third round of the group stage. American Tori Penso refereed the match between Ecuador and Germany, and Mexican Katia Itzel García made her debut as the center referee in the Netherlands vs. Tunisia game in Kansas City. The presence of both represents a new step in a process that began just four years ago in Qatar, when FIFA included women in the officiating team for a men’s World Cup for the first time. French referee Stéphanie Frappart became the first to oversee a match in the competition.
In total, FIFA called up 170 officials for the World Cup: 52 center referees, 88 assistant referees and 30 video assistant referee (VAR) officials. Six are women, all from the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF): two center referees, two assistants and two VAR specialists. They represent less than 4% of the total appointed officials.
Katia Itzel García (Mexico, 33) center referee
The appointment of Katia Itzel García. At 33, the Mexico City native is the first Mexican woman to referee a match at a men’s World Cup and only the third woman ever since the tournament’s creation. Her career has been marked by a string of firsts. At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games she became the first Mexican to officiate an Olympic match when she refereed the women’s quarterfinal between Spain and Colombia. In 2025 she broke another barrier by becoming the first woman to referee a men’s Gold Cup match. This is her fifth participation in the tournament, the previous four as an assistant. Ranked as the sixth-best female referee in the world, García has said her dream is to referee a World Cup in her own country.
Tori Penso (United States, 39) center referee
Penso began refereeing at age 13, and in 2020 became the first woman in two decades to referee a Major League Soccer (MLS) match, the top tier of U.S. soccer. A year later she earned her FIFA badge and has since accumulated appointments in major international competitions. One of her most notable assignments was at the Qatar 2022 World Cup. Off the field, Penso teaches courses in digital communication and sport.
Sandra Ramírez (Mexico, 37) assistant referee
Mexican Sandra Elizabeth Ramírez completes the Mexican representation on the officiating team. She made her professional debut in 2010 and has since built a solid career as an assistant referee. In 2019 she received her FIFA badge and began regularly appearing in international tournaments, in addition to working in Liga MX Femenil, youth competitions and the then Ascenso MX. One of the most important moments of her career came at the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica. She now adds a new achievement by participating for the first time in a men’s World Cup as part of the assistant referees’ team.
Brooke Mayo (United States, 38) assistant referee
She has been on the FIFA International Referees List since 2018 and officiates in MLS, although much of her experience has come in international competitions. She took part in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the 2025 Club World Cup. In recognition of her career, the U.S. Soccer Federation named her Female Referee of the Year in 2025. Like many of the officials at this World Cup, she began refereeing as a teenager, at age 13.
Kathryn Nesbitt (United States, 38) VAR assistant
The American referee is one of the most experienced specialists in video assisted refereeing. She joined the FIFA International Referees List in 2016 and has specialized in the VAR system since. This is her second appearance at a men’s World Cup, after Qatar 2022. She has established herself as one of the most recognized officials in the modern refereeing system.
Tatiana Guzmán (Nicaragua, 38) VAR assistant referee
The sixth member is Tatiana Guzmán, one of the most important figures in Central American refereeing. Before becoming a referee she was a footballer and later began a career that has led her to break several records in Nicaragua. She was the first woman to referee a men’s First Division match in her country and also the first Nicaraguan at a women’s World Cup, serving as a VAR official at the 2023 tournament in Australia and New Zealand. At the 2026 World Cup she works as a support VAR (SVAR) assistant, a role tasked with continuously monitoring footage and reviewing situations related to goals, penalties, direct red cards or mistaken identity.
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