Who will be the referee for the 2026 FIFA World Cup match between Czech Republic and South Africa?

The Czech Republic will play South Africa in Group A of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Atlanta Stadium in the United States on Thursday.

Both teams suffered setbacks in their opening matches and need to earn their first points to stay in contention for the round of 32.

Who will be the referee for the match between the Czech Republic and South Africa?

FIFA has confirmed that Tori Penso of the United States will officiate the Group A match, making her only the second female referee to take charge of a men’s FIFA World Cup match.

The 39-year-old has been a FIFA referee since 2021.

In 2020, Penso became the first woman to manage an all-female team in a men’s competition organized by CONCACAF – a World Cup qualifier.

In 2023, she officiated the FIFA Women’s World Cup final between Spain and England.

Penso is not a strict referee. She has been in charge of 109 matches in all competitions so far, brandishing 423 yellow cards and just four red cards.

She officiated nine games in Major League Soccer last season and issued 37 yellow cards, an average of about four per game.

Full list of match officials for Czech Republic vs South Africa

• Referee – Tori Penso (USA)

• Assistant Referee 1 – Brooke Mayo (USA)

• Assistant Referee 2 – Kathryn Nesbitt (USA)

• Fourth official: Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh (AUS)

• Reserve assistant referee: Isaac Trevis (AUS)

• Video assistant referee: Tatiana Guzman (Nicaragua)

Published on June 18, 2026