WOMEN’S WORLD CUP referee Tori Penso is one of the leading officials in the game.
And she has been charged with being the woman in the middle for England’s Women’s World Cup final clash against Spain.
GettyTori Penso became the first woman to referee an MLS match in over 20 years[/caption]
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From her career on the pitch to her family life – here’s everything you need to know.
Who is Tori Penso?
Tori Penso is American football referee from Florida.
In 2020, she became the first woman to referee an MLS match in over 20 years.
Penso began her refereeing career at the age of 14 – where she started reffing both boys’ and girls’ games.
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Not only was this a way of income for the then teenager, it also opened the door to a great opportunity – earning her an invitation to a refereeing camp run by the Olympic Development Program in Texas.
At the time, Penso was playing football while also studying for a university degree in marketing – and she did not yet view refereeing as a potential job.
She told FIFA.com: ”There were no full-time female referees in the States, and so I didn’t really see it as a career.
”I did understand, though, that it was more than just a temporary job for me, and that maybe it would enable me to get to know my country a bit better, and maybe even the world.”
Penso later made the decision to give up her job at an advertising agency in favour for refereeing.
In 2021, she made history once again – becoming the first woman to referee a FIFA World Cup qualifying match.
A year later, in 2022, Penso took charge of five FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup matches in Costa Rica, including one of the semi-finals.
How long has Tori Penso been a referee?
As mentioned above Penso was introduced to world of refereeing during her youth.
In 2021, Penso, a leading offical in the game, became a FIFA-rated referee.
As of August 2023, the trailblazing referee has taken charge of four matches at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
She was chosen to officiate the highly-anticipated England vs Australia semi-final on August 16, 2023.
Is Tori Penso married and does she have any children?
Tori Penso is married to fellow referee Chris Penso.
The couple share three daughters.