Tori Penso becomes the second woman to be the main referee at the World Championships

 American referee Tori Penso will become the second woman in history to serve as chief referee at the FIFA Men's World Cup. This information was reported by ESPN. 39-year-old Penso will officiate the match of the second round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup between the Czech Republic and South Africa. The meeting will take place today, June 18, in Atlanta. This event is historic as Penso is only the second woman to referee at the men's World Cup. The first was Frenchwoman Stéphanie Frappart, who officiated the Germany-Costa Rica match during the group stage in Qatar in 2022. The current 2026 World Cup takes place in the United States, Canada and Mexico, from June 11 to July 19. The current world champion is the Argentina national team, which defeated France in the 2022 final on penalties.