Image: IMAGO
Historic moment: an all-female refereeing crew officiates a World Cup match for the first time
The Czech Republic vs South Africa match made history as the first at a men's World Cup to be officiated by an all-female refereeing crew, with American Tori Penso as the main referee
The match between Czech Republic and South Africa will be remembered as the first in the history of the men's World Cup to be officiated by an entirely female on-field refereeing crew. American Tori Penso served as the main referee, assisted by her compatriots Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt — a landmark moment not only for the 2026 tournament but for the development of football as a whole.
Penso brings significant international experience to the role, while Nesbitt was part of the first female refereeing team to officiate at a men's World Cup, at Qatar 2022. This time, however, all three on-field positions were filled by women for the first time.
The match carries another historic footnote: assistant referee Brooke Mayo became the first openly LGBTQIAPN+ person to officiate at a men's World Cup match.