MBABANE – Eswatini VAR official Letticia Viana has earned five Video Assistant Referee appointments at the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup Poland 2026.
The tournament started on September 5 and will run until September 27, with Viana already making her mark during the group stage.
Viana has continued to fly the country’s flag high on the global stage after receiving appointments in several matches during the prestigious International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) tournament.
Her assignments have seen her serve both as the main Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and Assistant Video Assistant Referee (AVAR), underlining her growing stature among the match officials selected for the global competition.
Viana first served as AVAR for the match between Poland and Argentina on September 5 before taking up another appointment as VAR in the Costa Rica versus Colombia encounter two days later.
The Eswatini official was then appointed as AVAR for the Japan against United States match on September 9.
She returned to the main VAR role for the Colombia versus Portugal fixture on September 10 before completing her five group-stage appointments as AVAR in the Korea Republic against Ecuador encounter on September 12.
The five appointments represent a significant achievement for Viana, who is among the officials entrusted with overseeing the use of video technology at one of FIFA’s major youth competitions.
With the group stage now complete, Viana could yet add to her impressive list of assignments during the knockout phase, although no further appointment had been confirmed for her by September 13.
The Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and medal matches remain on the tournament schedule, giving the Eswatini official further opportunities to impress FIFA’s refereeing selectors.
A strong showing in Poland could also strengthen Viana’s prospects of being considered for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027, where FIFA is already assessing elite officials as part of its selection process.
The senior Women’s World Cup will be staged in Brazil from June 24 to July 25, 2027, with 32 teams competing across eight host cities.
For Viana, continued strong performances at the highest level could therefore put her in contention for another major FIFA assignment next year, potentially taking her from the global youth stage to the senior women’s World Cup.
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