Chicago (January 10, 2023) – U.S. Soccer and FIFA referees Kacha Koroleva and Tori Penso, assistant referees Felicia Mariscal, Brooke Mayo, Catherine Nesbitt and video match official Armando Villarreal will be in action for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand officially selected.
All 88 field officials are women, and six female video match officials were selected for the first time at a World Cup. FIFA has announced his 107 match officials from all six confederations for the competition, which kicks off on 20 July in Auckland, New Zealand.
The elected officials are 6 of the 37 US soccer referees who are part of the 2023 FIFA panel of refereeing at the highest level in the world. His 37 elected officials will be given the opportunity to referee at the highest level of international football.
Nesbitt and Villarreal have just been selected to represent the United States at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Nesbitt was one of her six women appointed to host the Men’s World Cup for the first time. Koroleva, Mariscal and Nesbitt have all returned to the Women’s World Cup stage after refereeing the 2019 tournament in France. Mayo and Penso will make their senior World Cup debuts in Australia and New Zealand.
After working as a referee across the American Soccer Pyramid in 2022, Koroleva will be in charge of his second Senior World Cup. She has been a member of the FIFA She panel since 2014 and has also been a referee for the 2022 and 2016 She FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cups. Last year, Koroleva refereeed the Concacafe W Championship and the 2022 Concacafe Men’s and Women’s U-20 Championships.
Mariscal will also referee the second Senior World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. She was the official of her match in her 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup video last fall. This is the first edition of the tournament with VAR. Since 2014 she has been a member of the FIFA Panel, where she won her 2022 Concacaf W Championship, last year’s Concacaf Men’s and Women’s U-20 Championships, as well as her 2016 and she 2020 Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifiers. Refereeed in both championships.
After earning a spot on the FIFA panel in 2018, Mayo’s Senior World Cup debut will take place this summer. In 2022, she hosted the 2020 Konkacafe Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship before running on the sidelines at the Konkacafe W Championship and the Konkacafe Women’s U-20 Championship.
One of America’s most accomplished referees, Nesbitt took part in the historic Costa Rica-Germany match in Qatar in 2022, featuring an all-female crew for the first time in World Cup history. She was also the first woman to referee a championship game in North American professional sports when she ran the touchline at the 2020 MLS Cup. She also refereeed the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and 2016 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. At the continental level, she has been an assistant referee at the 2022 Conca Cafe She’s W Championship and She’s 2021 Conca Cafe She’s Gold the Cup.
Penso was appointed to the FIFA panel for 2021 and made her world championship debut at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup last summer. She was the referee at last year’s Concacafe Her W Championship and the Concacafe Women’s U-20 Championship. Penso also refereeed the 2021 NWSL Championship.
Referees from Canada, Costa Rica, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua and Suriname will also represent Concacafe at the World Cup. FIFA selects the best match officials from around the world for FIFA competitions.
