Germany-Costa Rica match will be first time a woman has refereed men’s World Cup game
History will be made Thursday afternoon at the World Cup in Qatar.
Stéphanie Frappart will be the referee for the Group E match between Costa Rica and Germany. While women have worked as a referee’s assistant at previous men’s World Cup games, this will be the first time a woman will be the referee at a men’s match.
“The men’s World Cup is the most important sporting competition in the world,” Frappart said, per the Washington Post. “I was the first referee in France and in Europe, so I know how to deal with it.”
Germany coach Hansi Flick told the Guardian he has complete confidence in Frappart.
“I trust her 100%,” Flick said. “I think she deserves to be here due to her performance and achievements. I hope she is looking forward to this and I think she will perform very well.”
Frappart will be joined by a pair of female referee’s assistants: Neuza Back and Díaz Medina, FIFA announced.
This story was originally published December 1, 2022 at 10:03 AM.
