She began refereeing on small pitches in Mexico City with a gifted whistle and a men’s uniform so big it was practically swimming in it. And this Sunday, she becomes the first Mexican female referee to officiate a World Cup match. Katia Itzel García, ranked sixth best referee in the world, will officiate and make history this Thursday in the Netherlands vs. Japan match at Dallas Stadium in the United States.
The 33-year-old referee makes her debut as one of six women chosen by FIFA to participate in the 2026 World Cup, a continuation of the process begun in Qatar 2022, the first World Cup with female referees. From hundreds of applicants, FIFA selected only two women as referees, and García is one of them. This appointment brings her closer to her dream of officiating a World Cup match in a stadium in her own country.
Katia García’s journey began when she was a political science student at UNAM, the country’s most prestigious university. She trained in soccer, seven-a-side soccer, and even practiced archery. She has recounted that her dream of becoming a professional soccer player was thwarted because there wasn’t a women’s league in Mexico at the time. So Katia, who describes herself as someone who values ”a sense of justice in general,” had to transform her love for the ball.
Since then, her career has been marked by a series of firsts. She was the first Mexican woman to referee an Olympic match when she officiated the quarterfinal game between Spain and Colombia. In 2015, she refereed a men’s Gold Cup match, a feat no woman had ever accomplished before. She debuted as an assistant referee in 2017 and a year later became a head referee in Liga MX Femenil, where she officiated 17 matches in her first regular season and two more in the playoffs.
