Referee Katia Garcia Height, Married, Husband, Wiki, Age
Katia Garcia Biography – Katia Garcia Wiki
Katia Garcia is a Mexican professional football referee. Born on 1 September 1992 in Mexico City, Mexico, Katia has been a FIFA referee since 2019. She participated in the 2023 Women’s World Cup and officiated at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, including the bronze-medal match between Egypt and Morocco at La Beaujoire Stadium in Nantes.
In 2024, Katia became the first woman in over 20 years to officiate a Liga MX men’s match between Pachuca and Querétaro. She was also ranked as the sixth best referee in the world in 2024 and 2025 by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS), and the top referee in Concacaf.
She also officiated the 2026 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup final match between Arsenal Women FC and SC Corinthians at Arsenal Stadium on February 01, 2026, in London, England.
FIFA World Cup 2026
Mexican referee Katia Itzel García (5’4″) was selected by FIFA as one of the lead referees for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming the first Mexican female referee to officiate in a men’s FIFA World Cup. Katia and Tori Penso of the United States are the only women selected as lead referees for the tournament. Penso will become the first American woman to serve as a lead referee at a men’s FIFA World Cup.
They are joined by Assistant Referees Brooke Mayo (United States), Kathryn Nesbitt (United States), Sandra Ramirez (Mexico), and Video Match Official Tatiana Guzman (Nicaragua). All six officials represent Concacaf.
“I can only feel great joy at being the first Mexican female referee to officiate a men’s World Cup match,” said Garcia in an interview with Gaceta UNAM. “I feel gratitude—first to my family, who helped me reach this moment, and also to the female referees who paved the way before me; because it isn’t just about me—there are many others who pushed so that my teammates and I could be where we are today.”
The 2026 tournament will be the largest FIFA World Cup in history, featuring 48 teams and 104 matches across Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Garcia and Penso will not only take charge of matches on soccer’s biggest stage but also serve as trailblazers for future generations of referees throughout Concacaf and beyond.
