History in the making at Qatar , Stéphanie Frappart is set to become the first woman to officiate a FIFA World Cup match for men
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Stéphanie Frappart
When a referee makes headlines, it is typically due to some criticism of their work or an outcry following a contentious judgment. Stéphanie Frappart, though, will make history on Thursday by becoming the first woman to officiate a men’s FIFA World Cup match, shattering her customary anonymity.
The Frenchwoman will be one of an all-female refereeing trio that will be in charge of the Group E encounter between Costa Rica and Germany. The other two assistants are Neuza Back from Brazil and Karen Diaz from Mexico. This World Cup has featured six female match officials, including referees Frappart, Salima Mukansanga of Rwanda, Yoshimi Yamashita of Japan, and assistant referees Back, Diaz, and US-based Kathryn Nesbitt.
Frappart discovered she was coming to the 2022 Qatar World Cup in May, which is when FIFA made their announcement about their appointment. “It’s a surprise, you cannot believe it and after two or three minutes, you realize that you are going to the World Cup. It’s amazing, not only for me, but also for my family and also for the French referees,” she told the media.
Also Read: 2022 FIFA World Cup: Germany v Costa Rica Live Stream, Match Timings, and Preview
Stéphanie Frappart was the first female referee to take charge of a Ligue 1 match
She was the first female referee to officiate a Ligue 1 match in 2019, the first to oversee a significant men’s European encounter in August 2019, and the first to oversee a men’s UEFA Champions League match in 2020. “I knew that my life changed after 2019 because most people recognized me in the street,” Stéphanie recalls.
Frappart has already served as the fourth official twice during this World Cup, making history as the first woman to do so during a match between Mexico and Poland. Yamashita and Mukasanga have each served as the fourth official at two and four World Cup games, respectively. However, given that Qatar severely restricts women’s rights, there is a conflict between these monumental events for gender equality in sports and the country where they are taking place.
Frappart hopes that the presence of female referees and the massive global audience for the Qatar World Cup would inspire more women to pick up a whistle. According to the FA, there was a 72% rise in qualified female referees in the UK alone between 2016 and 2020, indicating that this transformation is already beginning.
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