AL KHOR, Qatar—French referee Stéphanie Frappart became the first woman to take charge of a men’s World Cup game on Thursday as she blew her whistle to start Germany’s game against Costa Rica.
Frappart also had two women as assistants—Neuza Back of Brazil and Karen Diaz Medina of Mexico—to complete an all-female refereeing team on the field.
Kathryn Nesbitt of the United States was also working at the Al Bayt Stadium as the offside specialist in the video review team.
FIFA has two other women, Salima Mukansanga of Rwanda and Yoshimi Yamashita of Japan, on its list to referee games at the tournament in Qatar.
Frappart had been picked previously for duties as the fourth official.
The 38-year-old Frenchwoman was promoted in the men’s game by European soccer body UEFA and in her home country and she has already refereed men’s games in World Cup qualifying and the Champions League. She also took charge of this year’s men’s French Cup final and the 2019 Women’s World Cup final for FIFA.
FIFA bared the female referees’ appointments last May and Frappart expressed her surprise.
“It’s a surprise, you cannot believe it and after two or three minutes, you realize that you are going to the World Cup,” Frappart told CNN Sport. “It’s amazing, not only for me, but also for my family and also for the French referees.”
“I knew that my life changed after 2019 because most people recognized me in the street,” said Frappart in the same CNN report—when she started refereeing big time in Europe. “So I am like a role model, for women referees but I think it [also] inspired some women in society or in companies to take more and more responsibility.” AP
Image credits: AP