Tori Penso becomes only second woman to referee a men's World Cup match as Ecuador face Germany

Tori Penso has been confirmed as the referee for Ecuador vs Germany in Group E of World Cup 2026 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, making her only the second woman to officiate a men’s World Cup match after Stephanie Frappart in 2022.

The 39-year-old Florida native already broke ground earlier in the tournament when she took charge of Czechia’s 1-1 draw with South Africa in Group A in Atlanta — the game in which she awarded a late penalty against Czech midfielder Pavel Sulc for handball. Penso will be assisted by Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt, with New Zealand’s Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh serving as fourth official and Isaac Trevis as reserve assistant referee.

Penso’s credentials on the global stage are well established. She officiated the final of the 2023 Women’s World Cup between Spain and England — a match the Lionesses lost 1-0 — before going on to referee at the Paris Olympics in 2024 and the Club World Cup in 2025. She also made history in September 2020 as just the fourth woman to take charge of an MLS match. According to Transfermarkt, she has officiated 13 games since the start of the 2025/26 season, issuing 49 yellow cards and two reds.

The match itself carries very different stakes for the two sides. Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany have already secured top spot in Group E after victories over Curacao and Ivory Coast, and the German coach may rotate his squad to keep key players fresh for the knockout rounds.

Ecuador, by contrast, arrive in desperate need of a result. They managed just one point from their opening two fixtures and have yet to score in the tournament, leaving them on the brink of elimination. A draw is unlikely to be sufficient even as one of the best third-placed teams, meaning victory is effectively the only outcome that keeps their World Cup alive.