Thirty-Five U.S. Soccer Match Officials Named To 2023 FIFA Panel
Eighteen Women Are Most-Ever Named to FIFA Panel While Seven Match Officials Selected for the First Time
CHICAGO (Jan. 4, 2023) – In conjunction with the U.S. Soccer Referee Program, the U.S. Soccer Referee Committee and FIFA have appointed 35 U.S. Soccer match officials to the 2023 FIFA Panel.
The 13 referees, 18 assistant referees, 10 video match officials and one futsal referee have the distinction and opportunity to represent the United States at the highest international levels in 2023, including FIFA Men’s, Women’s and Youth World Cups.
2023 FIFA PANEL – U.S. SOCCER REFEREES
REFEREES
Alex Billeter
Danielle Chesky
Joseph Dickerson
Ismail Elfath
Katja Koroleva
Samantha Martinez
Alyssa Nichols
Tori Penso
Victor Rivas
Nima Saghafi
Natalie Simon
Rubiel Vazquez
Armando Villarreal
ASSISTANT REFEREES
Kyle Atkins
Cameron Blanchard
Logan Brown
Jose Da Silva
Jennifer Garner
Jeremy Kieso
Felisha Mariscal
Brooke Mayo
Alicia Messer
Meghan Mullen
Kathryn Nesbitt
Corey Parker
Cory Richardson
Corey Rockwell
Kali Smith
Tiffini Turpin
Luis Uranga
VIDEO MATCH OFFICIALS
Kyle Atkins
Allen Chapman
Ismail Elfath
Timothy Ford
Edvin Jurisevic
Katja Koroleva
Felisha Mariscal
Kathryn Nesbitt
Chris Penso
Armando Villarreal
FUTSAL REFEREE
Joshua Wilkens
Referees Alex Billeter, Joseph Dickerson, Samantha Martinez, Alyssa Nichols and Victor Rivas as well as assistant referees Kali Smith and Tiffini Turpin have all been selected to the FIFA Panel for the first time. The 18 female match officials are the most American women ever selected.
Six match officials have been selected to represent the United States at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand: referees Katja Koroleva and Tori Penso, assistant referees Felisha Mariscal, Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt plus video match official Armando Villarreal. Nesbitt and Villarreal also served as match officials at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar alongside returning FIFA referee Ismail Elfath and assistant referees Kyle Atkins and Corey Parker.
This year also marks the retirement of three long-time U.S. Soccer match officials from the FIFA Panel: referee Jair Marrufo and assistant referees Frank Anderson and Ian Anderson.