Meet the World Cup referee paving the way for women
A New Era for Women in Soccer Officiating
Activelifezero.com – Stepping onto the pitch with her three daughters by her side, Tori Penso carried more than just the weight of expectation. Etched into the soles of her cleats were their names—constant reminders that this moment transcended the final whistle. Just weeks shy of turning forty, Penso etched her name into soccer history as the first American woman and only the second woman globally to officiate a men’s World Cup fixture. Her journey to this pinnacle was marked by numerous trailblazing accomplishments, including leading the tournament’s inaugural all-American, all-female officiating team through two group-stage encounters during June.
This remarkable achievement builds upon a foundation of groundbreaking milestones. Penso previously made history by refereeing a senior Women’s World Cup final in 2023, becoming the first American to accomplish this feat. Additionally, she holds the distinction of being Major League Soccer’s first full-time female referee. Despite these accomplishments, women remain a small fraction of officiating talent. Only six out of 170 officials selected for this summer’s tournament were female, representing just 3.5 percent—a statistic that underscores how rare such breakthroughs continue to be.
Commanding the Pitch
For Penso, whose roots trace back to Florida, this achievement extended far beyond making split-second decisions while navigating online misogyny. “This moment is for them so that they have a bigger stage when they get there,” she shared with CNN Sports during an interview in New York. “Women belong in sport, in boardrooms, and places where maybe they haven’t historically had a seat. And when we show up and we do it right and we perform well, it moves the needle.”
During the matches between South Africa and the Czech Republic alongside Ecuador versus Germany, Penso navigated one of soccer’s most demanding positions. Her controversial handball decision to award Bafana Bafana a penalty proved crucial, providing the South African squad with a vital equalizer. Conversely, her choice not to penalize a German midfielder for a high boot just before their goal sparked outrage among Ecuadorian fans. As emotions ran high, players became increasingly testy, yet Penso maintained firm control throughout both fixtures, issuing seven yellow cards in total, including one to Arsenal’s Piero Hincapié.
“Authority and respect (are) critical for us as match officials,” she explained. “A lot of times we hope we’re not seen and the game just flows naturally. That’s the best games, but the game will demand that we show up in certain moments.”
Understanding the Game Beyond Tactics
Elite refereeing requires more than tactical knowledge—it demands emotional intelligence. Penso recognized when frustration mounted among players, frequently stepping in to defuse tensions through conversation and clear explanations of her reasoning. One such interaction captured global attention. An Instagram video showing her calmly addressing a Czech player who attempted to walk away from her during a disagreement went viral, accumulating over 26 million views and 2 million likes. The caption read: “there’s nothing buzzier than watching a woman ref tell off these man babies.”
“Online people were saying it was a mom moment, but for me it was a moment of respect,” she clarified. “You cannot walk away from a match official and think that that’s going to be tolerated.”
Penso explained that two players had made contact during a corner kick near the game’s conclusion. Observing no foul, she allowed play to continue—a call that displeased one player. Her approach worked. She emphasized the importance of establishing boundaries before situations escalate, noting that the confidence to engage with players and address poor behavior develops over decades of experience.
Beyond the Whistle
Referees invest considerable effort off the field as well. Throughout the tournament cycle, officials convened daily to review footage and deliberate on decisions. “The objective is consistency, and that’s what we hope to achieve,” Penso noted.
On a personal level, Penso—who began refereeing at fourteen—described the experience as a dream realized. “Walking out into the tunnel, the energy, the buzz, the stadium, the players, the pressure, you can feel it in the air,” she recalled of her exhilaration leading teams out for the first time before more than 67,000 fans at Atlanta’s packed Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Yet Penso insists this victory belongs to many, not just one. She credited the 135,000 soccer officials across the United States, particularly highlighting that women comprise 22 percent of American referees—compared to just 9 percent globally. “We need to celebrate the moment because it matters,” she stated. The fact that three of the six female officials selected were American demonstrates the expanding opportunities for women in the profession within the United States. “I’m really proud of what we’ve done,” Penso concluded.
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