The Czech Republic national football team will face South Africa in the FIFA World Cup 2026, with referee Tori Penso. Penso is one of the top female referees and will be the second female referee to officiate a match at the men's World Cup. The Czech team will play against South Africa in Atlanta on Thursday at 18:00. Coach Miroslav Koubek's team lost to Korea 1:2 in the opening match and needs to win to advance from the group. Penso, born in Stuart, Florida, was the first American woman to referee a Women's World Cup final, in which Spain beat England 1:0 in 2023. Among the main referees at the ongoing championship in America, Penso is one of two women, along with Mexican referee Katia García. Czech striker Tomáš Chorý said he has no experience with female referees, but is focusing on the match. Penso started refereeing at the age of 14 alongside her older brothers and has been on the FIFA list since 2021. The match will be broadcast on ČT sport and ČT sport Plus, with a pre-match program starting at 16:45.