The Soccer Ref Who Broke the Rules

In May of 1981, an American referee made history, breaking a century of established tradition and bettering the game forever. This week, we look back at the inspiring story of Betty Ellis, the first American woman to officiate a men’s professional match. Plus, we uncover Pope Leo XIV’s unlikely passion for soccer, examine a worrying headline about the World Cup, and more.

This week’s stories:

• ✝️ The New Pope is a Soccer Fan

• 📰 Soccer Odyssey on the News

• ☝️ The Soccer Ref Who Broke the Rules

• ❌ World Cup Prices

• 🗳️ Poll + Last Week’s Answers

• ➡️ And More

CULTURE
The New Pope is a Soccer Fan

You may have heard of Pope Leo XIV attending a White Sox game back in 2005, but you probably haven’t heard of him supporting a Peruvian soccer club.

Turns out that during his service in Peru, Cardinal Robert Prevost allegedly became a fan of local powerhouse Alianza Lima. It’s not surprising since he spent over two decades in the South American nation and fell in love with Peruvian culture (he holds dual Peruvian-American citizenship).

A nun who worked alongside the new Pope during his time in Peru seemed to confirm the rumor.

CLUBELEVEN
Soccer Odyssey on the News

It was a lot of fun to be on the other side of interviews this past week!

Our Head of Production, Tyler Dolph, was featured on NPLH, where he talked about our experiences on the soccer bus tour, career choices, democratising the game, and the importance of teamwork over individual glory.

Our Head of Video, Justin Amatucci, spoke with a local news outlet in Tampa ahead of our stop with the Rowdies. He opened up about the process behind creating the Soccer Odyssey magazine, the goals of the bus tour, and the importance of grassroots storytelling in soccer.

And lastly, I spoke with Goal.com for a Q&A interview about the contents of the Soccer Odyssey magazine and reflections from our bus road trip across America so far.

A special thank you to Joe Fordham, Chelsea Rivera, and Jacob Schneider for telling our stories on their respective outlets. An honor!

COVER STORY
The Soccer Ref Who Broke the Rules

This week, we celebrate a very special anniversary in the history of our country. On May 16, 1981, Betty Ellis became the first woman to officiate a professional soccer game in the United States, acting as a linesperson in an NASL match between the Portland Timbers and Calgary Boomers.

Ellis was 40 years old at the time and had had ample experience refereeing across various levels of soccer. Nevertheless, the notion of a woman officiating a professional match was met with wild skepticism at the time. At first, many wrongly assumed it was simply a publicity stunt, but Ellis was unfazed.

"I knew that I was opening a door," she said. "I thought of other women that I knew who were interested in reffing. I felt the responsibility on my shoulders to do not just a good job, but a real good job, so they would have the opportunity when it came to them. That responsibility was really big.”

Ellis had positive performances in her first couple of games and would end up refereeing for four years in the NASL (until it folded). Despite being subjected to catcalls from the stands and forced to dress in men’s bathrooms, Ellis became an exceptional referee in the top flight, drawing high praise from coaches, fellow refs, and players. Even the great George Best had positive comments for Ellis during his time at the Earthquakes.

During her tenure as a ref, Ellis consistently rose to the occasion, proving that women could officiate at the highest levels of men’s soccer. Her success was a pivotal step in dismantling outdated gender biases within the sport and paved the way for the hundreds of referees who followed in her footsteps.

So today, we honor the incredible achievements of Betty Ellis—a widowed mother of five, special education teacher, and trailblazing referee who left an indelible mark on the beautiful game.

WC 2026
World Cup Prices

Prices for hospitality packages to the World Cup were released last week, and they’re astonishingly steep. 

But what about regular ticket prices? Contrary to what you may have seen floating online, there isn’t an official number yet for how much a regular ticket will cost (outside of some corporate hospitality packages).

Nevertheless, back when North America submitted its bid in 2018, it was estimated that tickets would cost around $300 on average. Of course, the average also takes into account the prices of suites and VIP boxes, inflating the “average” price for tickets. So the cheapest might still actually be at a decent figure.

Still, with the way things are going in the soccer world now, it’s a valid concern that many diehard fans will be priced out of this tournament.

CLUBELEVEN
The Supporters Section

It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but I’m hoping it won’t bankrupt me. How much would you be willing to put up for a WC ticket? We’ll highlight your best answers next week!

CLUBELEVEN
Aggregates

Record Valuations: 38% of the top 50 most valuable soccer clubs in the world are in MLS. But this figure has sparked a huge debate about what it means for the game in America.

Prayers: It was a scary moment on the pitch as Angel City defender Savy King collapsed on the field on Friday. Thankfully, she remains stable and has been undergoing further medical evaluation. We hope it’s nothing serious and wish her a speedy recovery.

New San Francisco Team: Welcome, Golden City Football Club, the newest pro soccer team in the Bay! For all those out on the West Coast, check them out.

CATastrophe Avoided: Photographer Ed Villalobos found himself in a tricky animal rescue situation outside Geodis Park in Nashville last week. At the end of the day, he made a new friend.

Freak Accident: This American player suffered every setback imaginable on his way to training for his club in Europe, but he made it. You won’t believe what he had to go through.

OPEN CUP
This is the Way

The Last Hope. That’s what the rest of the pyramid outside of MLS is calling the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. They slayed NYCFC in the last round of the Open Cup and are now the final non-MLS team standing in the competition. The scenes in Pittsburgh were unbelievable as they scored a 96th-minute winner.

Elsewhere, a few of us were down in St. Pete covering the I-4 Derby between the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Orlando City. It was a memorable one, too.

JOBS
Real Madrid American Tryouts

Real Madrid has a brand new project aiming to scout talent in the United States.

According to reports, the Spanish giants will set up camps across multiple cities in America, each hosting up to 250 players.

More than 1,000 players between the ages of 18 and 19 will take part in tryouts across the US in hopes of being selected to join the ‘Dream Team’ that will ultimately train at Real Madrid's prestigious training center.

More details here.

CLUBELEVEN
Your Takes 🗯️ 

Last week, we asked you: What do you think of the (alleged) 2026 World Cup ball? Here are some of your answers:

• “It’s alright. Nothing will top the Brazuca.” - BD

• “It’s alright. I like the colors but I think I won’t make up my mind until I see it on the field.” - Dan

• “Love it. Looks amazing. Maybe the best one in terms of design of the past few editions. The 3 colors mix perfectly.” - Dario

In the poll, “It’s alright” came in first with 50% of the vote, while “I like it” came in second with a little over 33% of the vote.

Overall, it seems like people felt generally positive about the design. In my opinion, I agree that it’s pretty decent, although I will wait for any official photos or announcements to make my final judgment. Overall, though, I’m moderately optimistic.

UP NEXT
Strategizing

We have one more Open Cup round next week before a relatively big break in the tournament over the summer. We’re already planning some exciting stops for June, July, and August, though, so let us know if there’s anywhere you think we should head to with the bus. We’re gearing up for some long treks during those months.

As always, thank you so much for your support along the way, and thank you to everyone who came out to check out the bus in Tampa, especially those who’ve now made it to multiple stops!

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Have a great Tuesday!

Pablo