By The World Cup match between Costa Rica and Germany on Thursday had a decidedly different look, one that marked a first in the history of the men’s tournament.
Stéphanie Frappart, Neuza Back and Karen Diaz were scheduled to become the first all-women refereeing team, taking charge of the Group E match, FIFA announced Tuesday.
Frappart, a 38-year-old from France, will be the first woman to manage a match crew in the men’s World Cup after she served as the fourth official in a Group C match between Mexico and Poland last week. She has taken charge of matches in France’s Ligue 1, the Europa League and World Cup qualifying, as well as the UEFA Super Cup final between Chelsea and Liverpool in 2019.
“The men’s World Cup is the most important sporting competition in the world,” Frappart said in FIFA’s statement announcing the assignment. “I was the first referee in France and in Europe, so I know how to deal with it.”
