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10-year-old football fan has the NFL Referees Association to thank for making his Super Bowl dream a reality
Tori Penso (front row, far right) was one of our Sports Officials Care Game On clinic instructors in a free Game On clinic for teens in Cleveland last year. This summer, she will make history as the first American woman to be the head referee in a men’s FIFA World Cup. (Photo by Ken Blaze)
All of us at Sports Officials Care are proud to share that Tori Penso, has been named the first American woman to be the head referee in a FIFA men’s World Cup! She will work as a referee this summer.
A total of 52 referees, 88 assistant referees and 30 video match officials were selected to officiate soccer’s biggest matches. (To see a full list of officials, click HERE).
Tori has supported Sports Officials Care, as does her husband, Chris, who is a Major League Soccer referee and happens to be an SOC board member.
Tori took time out last year to lead introductory soccer officiating drills to teens at the Polaris Career Center in Middleburg Heights, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. During her drills, students learned about the proper way to run a coin toss and about red and yellow cards.
Tori is no stranger to making history and breaking barriers as she also refereed the final of the women’s World Cup in 2023, becoming the first American woman to do so.
“Female officials are capable, whether that be physically or mentally or technically. I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish so far,” Tori told the Treasure Coast Newspapers, part of the USA TODAY Network. “There’s still so much for us to do.”
Sports Officials Care coordinates introductory Game On officiating clinics to high school students across the country. To learn how your school can get involved, contact Jenn@SportsOfficialsCare,org.
