Qatar 2022: All-female referee To Officiate Costa Rica-Germany Match
On Thursday, when the match between Costa Rica and Germany in Group E takes center stage, French referee Stephanie Frappart will make history as the first female official at a men's World Cup.
When she is joined by her two female assistant referees, Neuza Back of Brazil and Karen Diaz Medina of Mexico, it will be the first time in World Cup history that an all-female refereeing panel has been in charge of a men's game.
A few days ago, the 38-year-old referee made history by becoming the first female official at the 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup when she was designated fourth official for the match between Mexico and Poland.
She was the first woman to officiate a men's UEFA Champions League match, which she did in 2020 during Juventus' 3-0 win against Dynamo Kyiv, paving the way for other female referees.
In 2019, Frappart became the first female referee to oversee a match between Liverpool and Chelsea in the European Super Cup.
Frappart told BBC Sport, "We know the pressure. But I think we will not change ourselves. Be calm, focused, (and) concentrate, and don’t think too much about the media and everything. Just be focused on the field.”
The Qatar 2022 World Cup will feature 36 referees, including three women: Frappart, Rwandan Salima Mukansanga (representing Africa), and Japanese Yoshimi Yamashita.