Rwandan referee Mukansanga Salima has been selected among the 68 match officials who will officiate at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, which will take place in Poland from September 5 to 27, 2026. She will serve as one of the Video Assistant Referees (VAR) during the tournament.
Mukansanga Named Among 14 VAR Officials for the Tournament
FIFA included Mukansanga among the 14 Video Assistant Referees, a group that includes 10 women, who will oversee the tournament’s 52 matches involving 24 countries.
The full list of officials for the competition also includes 18 center referees and 36 assistant referees, all of whom are women. Mukansanga’s appointment means Rwanda will once again be represented at a major international football tournament through one of its most accomplished referees.
Transition From Center Referee to VAR Role
Mukansanga has not appeared frequently in recent competitions as an on-field referee because, from 2025, she stopped officiating as a center referee and instead transitioned to working exclusively as a Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
One of the major tournaments she officiated in after taking on this new role was the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, where she served as a VAR official.
A Trailblazing Career on the International Stage
Mukansanga bRwandan referee Mukansanga Salima has been selected among the 68 match officials who will officiate at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, which will take place in Poland from September 5 to 27, 2026. She will serve as one of the Video Assistant Referees (VAR) during the tournament.
Mukansanga Named Among 14 VAR Officials for the Tournament
FIFA included Mukansanga among the 14 Video Assistant Referees, a group that includes 10 women, who will oversee the tournament’s 52 matches involving 24 countries.
The full list of officials for the competition also includes 18 center referees and 36 assistant referees, all of whom are women. Mukansanga’s appointment means Rwanda will once again be represented at a major international football tournament through one of its most accomplished referees.
Transition From Center Referee to VAR Role
Mukansanga has not appeared frequently in recent competitions as an on-field referee because, from 2025, she stopped officiating as a center referee and instead transitioned to working exclusively as a Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
One of the major tournaments she officiated in after taking on this new role was the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, where she served as a VAR official.
A Trailblazing Career on the International Stage
Mukansanga became a FIFA-accredited international referee in 2012, and in 2022 she made history by becoming the first woman to referee at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Her career includes officiating at some of the biggest competitions in world football, including the Olympic Games, the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, and the CAF Women’s Champions League.
She was also among the three women selected to officiate at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, becoming the first woman from Africa to achieve that milestone.
International Recognition Beyond the Pitch
Beyond her achievements on the field, Mukansanga has received several prestigious awards and recognitions. These include being named among the BBC 100 Women, as well as recognition from Forbes Woman Africa, the Forty under 40 Africa Award, and the East Africa Youth Award, among others.
Her latest appointment to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland adds another chapter to a career that has already broken multiple barriers for women in African and global football officiating.
Her career includes officiating at some of the biggest competitions in world football, including the Olympic Games, the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, and the CAF Women’s Champions League.
She was also among the three women selected to officiate at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, becoming the first woman from Africa to achieve that milestone.
International Recognition Beyond the Pitch
Beyond her achievements on the field, Mukansanga has received several prestigious awards and recognitions. These include being named among the BBC 100 Women, as well as recognition from Forbes Woman Africa, the Forty under 40 Africa Award, and the East Africa Youth Award, among others.
Her latest appointment to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland adds another chapter to a career that has already broken multiple barriers for women in African and global football officiating.
