Copa America 2024 set to feature its first-ever female referee

Maria Victoria Penso and Edina Alves will be refereeing the tournament

On Friday, the first-ever female match referees were chosen to work the Copa America.Edina Alves of Brazil and Maria Victoria Penso of the United States will feature as referees in the Copa America 2024.

Assistants from Brazil (Neuza Back), Colombia (Mary Blanco), Venezuela (Migdalia Rodríguez), and the United States (Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt) are going to help both. Tatiana Guzman of Nicaragua was chosen to serve as an official for the video assessment.

“It is a high commitment taken by CONMEBOL since 2016, betting on the development and professionalization of more women on and off the field of play, promoting football with equality in different tournaments,” the South American football body said in a statement.

“This is a significant commitment undertaken by CONMEBOL since 2016,” CONMEBOL said in a statement.

“Aiming at the development and professionalisation of more women on and off the field, promoting gender equality in various tournaments.”

Beginning on June 20, 101 match officials will be employed by the United States to oversee the Copa América.

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The Italian official Maurizio Mariani, together with his colleagues Daniele Brindoni and Alberto Tegoni (assistants) and Marco Di Bello and Alejandro Di Paolo (VAR), will officiate the South American tournament as part of a CONMEBOL-UEFA partnership.

Alves made history in 2021 when she officiated a senior men’s FIFA competition at the Club World Cup, making history. Back and Nesbitt officiated World Cup games in Qatar in 2022.

Penso, Mayo, and Nesbitt have also been chosen to officiate games during the 2024 French Olympic football competition.

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