First All-Women Referee Crew Set to Debut at Men’s World Cup

The trio of female referees will officiate the Group E clash between Costa Rica and Germany on Thursday.

A trio of women will become the first all-female refereeing team to officiate a men’s World Cup match when Costa Rica and Germany clash in a Group E match on Thursday.

On Tuesday, FIFA named Stephanie Frappart, Neuza Back and Karen Diaz as the trio to make history in the upcoming match. Frappart will serve as the main referee in the match after serving as the fourth official in a Group C match between Poland and Mexico last week.

The 38-year-old Frappart was the first woman to officiate a men’s World Cup qualifying match in March. She also was the first woman to officiate a Champions League match, in 2020. Frappart previously has officiated in Ligue 1 matches and the UEFA Supercup final between Chelsea and Liverpool in ’19. Black, who hails from Brazil, and Diaz, from Mexico, will be assistants in the match alongside Frappart.

Two other women, Rwanda’s Salima Mukansanga and Japan’s Yamashita Yoshimi, also are serving as officials in various matches during the 2022 World Cup.

Costa Rica and Germany square off at 2 p.m. ET at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar.

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