U.S. officials Ismail Elfath and Tori Penso are among the 52 match referees selected for this summer’s men’s World Cup, FIFA has announced.

One of two female match referees chosen by global soccer’s governing body - the other is Mexico’s Katia García - Penso is the first U.S. woman to be named as a lead on-field official for a men’s World Cup.

What’s more, Penso’s compatriot, Kathryn Nesbitt, has again been selected as an assistant referee. Four years ago, she went to the men’s World Cup in Qatar - the first edition of the tournament to feature female officials.

The 2022 finals saw France’s Stéphanie Frappart become the first woman to take charge of a men’s World Cup game, when she refereed Germany’s group-phase win over Costa Rica.

Who is Tori Penso?

Penso’s selection comes just under three years after she took charge of the women’s World Cup final. In December 2023, the 39-year-old became the first U.S. official to referee the title game in either the men’s or women’s World Cup, overseeing Spain’s 1-0 win over England in Sydney.

A referee who has officiated in both the National Women’s Soccer League and Major League Soccer - the U.S.’s elite women’s and men’s divisions, respectively - Penso is now MLS’s first full-time female referee. The Florida native made her debut in MLS in September 2020, becoming the first woman in two decades to referee a match in the league.

In 2025, Penso was the only female referee included on FIFA’s roster for the inaugural edition of FIFA’s expanded, 32-team Club World Cup. She was handed two group-stage games at the tournament in the U.S. Four months later, Penso then led the first ever all-female officiating team in the U.S. Open Cup final, running the rule over Nashville SC’s 2-1 victory over Austin FC.

Who is Ismail Elfath?

Meanwhile, Elfath is returning to the men’s World Cup after refereeing three games in 2022. His trio of assignments included one knockout-stage clash - Croatia’s last-16 win over Japan - and saw him star in one of the tournament’s most memorable moments.

During Cameroon’s 1-0 group-stage victory over five-time champions Brazil, the Moroccan-born referee showed Cameroonian striker Vincent Aboubakar a second yellow card for removing his shirt as he celebrated a stoppage-time winner. However, a smiling Elfath could also be seen congratulating Aboubakar on his crucial strike, shaking the player’s hand before sending him off.

An MLS whistler since 2012, Elfath has won the league’s Referee of the Year award twice. His most notable domestic appointments came in 2020 and 2022: Four years ago, he oversaw Los Angeles FC’s MLS Cup final win over Philadelphia Union; two seasons earlier, he refereed Portland Timbers’ victory over Orlando City in the title game of the MLS is Back Tournament.

Outside of the domestic soccer scene, the 44-year-old was the referee for the 2025 Intercontinental Cup final last December, as Paris Saint-Germain beat Flamengo on penalties in Qatar.

Every U.S. match official at the 2026 World Cup:

Referees: Ismail Elfath, Tori Penso

Assistant referees: Kyle Atkins, Kathryn Nesbitt, Corey Parker

VAR: Armando Villarreal

Complete list of 2026 World Cup referees:

• UEFA: Michael Oliver (England); Anthony Taylor (England); François Letexier (France); Clément Turpin (France); Felix Zwayer (Germany); Maurizio Mariani (Italy); Danny Makkelie (Netherlands); Espen Eskås (Norway); Szymon Marciniak (Poland); João Pinheiro (Portugal); István Kovács (Romania); Slavko Vincic (Slovenia); Alejandro Hernández Hernández (Spain); Glenn Nyberg (Sweden); Sandro Schärer (Switzerland).
• AFC: Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan); Ning Ma (China); Alireza Faghani (Australia); Yusuke Araki (Japan); Abdulrahman Al Jassim (Qatar); Khalid Al Turais (Saudi Arabia); Ilgiz Tantashev (Uzbekistan).
• CAF: Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria); Pierre Atcho (Gabon); Amin Mohamed (Egypt); Jalal Jayed (Morocco); Dahane Beida (Mauritania); Omar Abdulkadir Artan (Somalia); Abongile Tom (South Africa).
• CONCACAF: Drew Fischer (Canada); Juan Calderón (Costa Rica); Said Martínez (Honduras); Oshane Nation (Jamaica); César Ramos (Mexico); Katia García (Mexico); Iván Barton (El Salvador); Ismail Elfath (USA); Tori Penso (USA).
• CONMEBOL: Yael Falcón Pérez (Argentina); Darío Herrera (Argentina); Facundo Tello (Argentina); Ramon Abatti (Brazil); Raphael Claus (Brazil); Wilton Sampaio (Brazil); Cristian Garay (Chile); Andrés Rojas (Colombia); Juan Gabriel Benítez (Paraguay); Kevin Ortega (Peru); Gustavo Tejera (Uruguay); Jesús Valenzuela (Venezuela).

When is the 2026 World Cup?

• Opening game: June 11, Mexico City
• Final: July 19, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Related stories

World Cup 2026

FIFA’s “Front Category 1″ ticket prices cause uproar

World Cup 2026

Surprise inclusion as FIFA confirms World Cup referees

Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.