Iran Press/ Middle East: The French Stéphanie Frappart will become the first woman to direct as main referee a match of a final phase of a men’s World Cup this Thursday when she delivers justice in the match between Costa Rica and Germany in the third and final day of Group E.
FIFA reported this Tuesday that the 38-year-old French braid would be in charge of refereeing the duel between the Central Americans and the Germans, in which the Brazilian Neuza Back and the Mexican Karen Díaz will accompany her as assistants in a historic female trio of referees.
Until now, none of the three referees who have traveled to Qatar -Frappart, the Japanese Yoshimi Yamashita, and the Rwandan Salima Mukasanga- had been selected as the main referee in this World Cup; Frappart and Back were the first women in history to participate in a men’s World Cup, doing so as fourth referee and reserve assistant, respectively, in the Mexico-Poland match.
Frappart has achieved many milestones for women in men’s football, being the first to direct a French Ligue 1 match (2019), a European Super Cup final (2019), an official national team match (2020), a match of the ‘Champions’ (2020) or a final of the French Cup (2022).
The game between Costa Rica and Germany is one of the most important group-stage games left in the competition. Germany needs to win to have any chance of reaching the last 16 of the World Cup, as it is currently bottom of Group E. Costa Rica also needs at least a draw to have a realistic chance of progressing. Both teams, however, will have to wait for the full-time score of the match between Spain and Japan.
The World Cup group stages are underway, and 16 of the 32 teams will make the knockout games.
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