Three U.S. officials to referee FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup

CHICAGO (Via U.S. Soccer) – FIFA has named the match officials who will work the 2016 Under-17 Women’s World Cup in Jordan and three officials will represent the United States.

Referee Ekaterina (Katja) Koroleva will be joined by assistant referees Kathryn Nesbitt and Deleana Quan. Koroleva was one of three CONCACAF referees named while Nesbitt and Quan were among six assistant referees named from four different CONCACAF nations.

In total, FIFA named 16 referees and 28 assistant referees, all of them female.

+Read: USA roster named for FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to officiate at my first FIFA tournament,” Koroleva said. “Kathryn Nesbitt, Deleana Quan and I have been preparing for top level competition and we’re all very excited to get to Jordan and continue our journey.”

Koroleva became a FIFA referee in 2014. She has worked numerous men’s games in the USL since receiving her FIFA badge and has worked 24 NWSL games since 2014, culminating with running the middle in the championship match in 2015.

Nesbitt became FIFA AR in 2016. She has since passed the men’s fitness test which allows her to work Major League Soccer matches and has worked 19 MLS games since 2015. Quan also earned her FIFA badge in 2016. She has officiated 18 NWSL games since 2013 and was also selected to represent U.S. Soccer at the 2016 CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship last match in Grenada.