For the first time in the history of the men’s World Cup, a team of referees will be made up exclusively of women. The trio will be on the field for the group stage match between Costa Rica and Germany on Thursday.
Led by Stephanie Frappart, the three referees also include the Brazilian Neuza Back and the Mexican Karen Díaz Medina. Frappart will be the first woman to referee a men’s World Cup. She also became the first female official at the tournament when she was the fourth official during the Mexico vs. Poland game last week.
The women’s referee team understands, understands the pressure of the World Cup
Frappart previously spoke about the historical implications of the occasion. “We know the pressure,” Frappart told BBC Sport before the start of the tournament.
“But I think we won’t change ourselves. Be calm, focused, concentrated and don’t think too much about the media and everything, just focus on the pitch.”
The Frenchwoman was also asked about the support she has received during matches. “Since I started, I always had the support of teams, clubs and players,” Frappart said. “I was always welcome at the stadium, so I feel like another referee on the field. I was always welcome, so I think I’ll be welcome as before.”
Flick praises Frappart before the match
Germany head coach Hansi Flick fully endorsed Frappart during his press conference on Wednesday. “I trust the referee 100%”, proclaimed the German coach. “He deserves it for his performances. I hope you’re looking forward to the game as much as we are. We all hope to see a good performance tomorrow.”
Frappart also previously became the first woman to referee a UEFA Champions League match. The next World Cup game on Thursday comes almost two years after the game between Juventus and Dynamo Kyiv in 2020.
PHOTO: IMAGO/Xinhua
