Alyssa Nichols: the trailblazing US referee chasing her World Cup ‘dream’

The youngest Black woman to earn a Fifa referee badge, the Mississippi native, Jackson State alumna and proud Delta is breaking down barriers one assignment at a time

Earlier this year, Alyssa Nichols became the youngest Black woman, and the first from Mississippi, to earn a Fifa referee badge. She's not fazed by being the youngest - she is one of only two Black American women to hold the distinction - but she understands her achievement as a chance to encourage others.

After Nichols started playing soccer at Murrah High School, in Jackson, Mississippi, one of her teammates, who worked as a youth officiator with Southwest Jackson Soccer League, a primarily Black club in the city, suggested that Nichols start officiating as a way to make money while balancing academics and athletics.