A milestone for women’s refereeing
President Claudia Sheinbaum congratulated Katia Itzel García Mendoza for becoming the first Mexican to whistle a World Cup match. García refereed the match between Tunisia and the Netherlands from the Kansas City stadium.
“Imagine what it cost Katia, in and of herself, a referee, a good referee. Well, to get to a World Cup match requires many exams, having to pass different filters. Now imagine for a woman, being the referee of a men’s match,” Sheinbaum expressed in the morning conference.
García is a student at the Faculty of Law and a graduate of the Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Public Administration from the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences (FCPyS) of UNAM. This Friday she led the fifth World Cup match directed by a central referee.
The president also highlighted the efforts of the auxiliary Sandra—without giving a last name—and linked the achievement to the demands of women: “An extraordinary effort by Katia and the auxiliary… speaks of personal effort, but also of the demands of women, that we can be whatever we want to be.”
Sheinbaum took the opportunity to defend the singer Julieta Venegas, who was criticized for the cover “La Niña Futbolista.” He did not give more details, but reiterated his support for the artist.
García’s case opens the conversation about female inclusion in professional arbitration, a field historically dominated by men.




