Who is Katia Itzel García, the Mexican referee who will make history at the 2026 World Cup?

The Mexican whistler Katia Itzel García is on the threshold of making history after being chosen as one of the 52 central referees who will participate in the World Cup 2026 and that, together with Cesar Ramosthey will seek to put a stop to Mexican arbitration.

With several international recognitions for his work as central judge, Katia Itzel García will seek to emulate her teammate Karen Díaz, who four years ago in Qatar 2022 participated as an assistant in the Costa Rica match against Germany and who was part of the six whistlers who established the historical mark of working in a World Cup

At Qatar 2022, the central judges were Stéphanie Frappart (France), Salima Mukansanga (Rwanda) and Yoshimi Yamashita (Japan), accompanied by assistants Neuza Succor, Karen Díaz and Kathryn Nesbitt, who started to give it greater scope for participation in global arbitration.

Now Katia Itzel García will be, along with the American Tori Penso (United States)the two central judges who were chosen by FIFA and who, along with assistants Sandra Ramírez (Mexico), Brooke Mayo (United States) and Kathryn Nesbitt (United States) and VAR referee, Tatiana Guzmán (Nicaragua), will be part of the referee team.

Who is Katia Itzel García?

Katia Itzel García is a Mexican whistler who has burst into Aztec football with great force and who debuted in Liga MX on March 9, 2024 in the match between Pachuca against Querétaro on matchday 11 of the Clausura 2024 tournament

From that moment on, The Mexican whistler has accumulated almost thirty matches in the First Division of Mexico and has also participated in the Women’s World Cup in Australia-New Zealand 2023 and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where she was in charge of four matches, one of them Germany vs. Spain in the dispute for the bronze medal, in addition to having his international FIFA badge since 2019.

Katia Itzel García also made history by becoming the first Mexican referee to officiate a match men’s Gold Cup Curaçao and El Salvador, which ended 0-0 on June 7, 2025 at PayPal Park, corresponding to the group stage and later directed the quarterfinal match between Honduras and Panama.

In deepest question, he has academic support provided by his studies in Political Science and Public Administration at UNAM, which has allowed him to combine his professional career with academic activity.

A designation that has raised dust

As expected, the appointment of Katia Itzel García has raised a lot of dust considering that the election of the Mexican whistler It was a designation by gender and not by experience or career.

Voices like those of former whistlers and now analysts Francisco Chacón, Fernando “Cantante” Guerrerowho directly questioned the election of the Mexican referee, considering that her career does not allow her to be chosen for an event of such magnitude.

Voices also a desire, such as that of the former World Cup referee Arturo Brizio and the commentator David Faitelson who applauded that the FIFA has dared to trust in the ability of the Mexican whistler to choose her as the central judge for the 2026 World Cup.

Continue reading:
– The reaction of “Gato” Ortiz to his exclusion from the list for the 2026 World Cup
– The 52 referees chosen by FIFA for the 2026 World Cup are ready
– Katia Itzel García would have surpassed “Gato” Ortiz and would go to the World Cup together with César Ramos