FIFA Picks First Female Officials for Men’s World Cup

The Qatar World Cup was always going be full of firsts. It will be the first time it is played in the Middle East, and it will be the first time it is played in November or December. Now, it may also be the first men’s World Cup tournament in which a game is refereed by a woman.

FIFA named three women as the 36 referees for the event. Three more were chosen to be assistants. The most likely candidate among the three to get a starring role is Stéphanie Frappart of France, who has broken a number of barriers in European soccer.

Frappart, who made the list alongside female referees from Rwanda and Japan, has a stellar reputation in European soccer as the first woman to referee men in the Champions League, France’s top division and World Cup qualification games. This month, she refereed the final of the men’s French Cup.

Frappart was also chosen to join the officiating teams at last summer’s European Championship, but her role was limited to that of fourth official, a function on the sideline between the benches of the opposing teams.

FIFA may now be considering going one step further in announcing its refereeing options. Frappart is joined by Salima Mokansanga (Rwanda) and Yoshimi Yoshita (Japan). They will be attending seminars to prepare for the 32-team event.

“This concludes a long process that began several years ago with the deployment of female referees at FIFA men’s junior and senior tournaments,” said Pierluigi Collina, the chairman of the FIFA referees committee. “In this way, we clearly emphasize that it is quality that counts for us and not gender.”

As assistant referees, North American women were also selected. Kathryn Nesbitt, a regular in Major League Soccer, is joined by Karen Díaz Medina of Mexico. Neuza Back from Brazil is also included.

For FIFA, the push to include more women on and off the field has become increasingly urgent amid greater scrutiny of how it manages the sport and a growing global interest in women’s soccer. More money has been invested than ever in developing players as well as match officials. Collina stated that this should make it less controversial to see and include female referees in matches.

“I would hope that in the future, the selection of elite women’s match officials for important men’s competitions will be perceived as something normal and no longer as sensational,” he said. “They deserve to be at the FIFA World Cup because they constantly perform at a really high level, and that’s the important factor for us.”

The environment and the focus on female officials can still be difficult. Frappart was subject to abuse on social media, both before and after she officiated at the French Cup game. It was decided after a penalty call.

Frappart revealed that she had resisted social media and only read the newspaper before the game. “Personally, I am focused on what happens on the pitch and don’t pay attention to controversies or discussions about my performances,” she said.

The fact that the World Cup will be held in Qatar, a conservative Gulf state, presents a unique opportunity for women to participate in the event. The tiny emirate has some restaurants and establishments that are separate. Men are not allowed to enter areas meant for women or their families. Stadiums will be open, however, with no restrictions.

FIFA has become more innovative in the officiating of its multibillion-dollar tournament. Goal line technology was used in the last two editions. FIFA introduced video assistant refereeing at the last tournament in Russia. It was almost completely unaffected by the game’s flow.

VAR was also used at the last Women’s World Cup, in France, in 2019, but its use, largely because of running costs, is not yet universal in the sport. FIFA stated that the majority of the teams at the controls come from Europe and South America.

The pandemic made it more difficult to choose referees for this tournament. That is why FIFA announced its selections earlier than usual. “We want to work even harder with all those who have been appointed for the FIFA World Cup, monitoring them in the next months,” said Collina, a former World Cup final referee. “The message is clear: Don’t rest on your laurels, keep working hard, and prepare yourselves very seriously for the World Cup.”

FIFA wants its officials to be able to keep up to the demands of players who are healthier than ever. The organization stated that each official would be given a plan to follow to arrive in Qatar at peak performance. “Each match official will be carefully monitored in the next months with a final assessment on technical, physical and medical aspects to be made shortly before the World Cup,” Massimo Busacca, FIFA’s director of refereeing, said.

But for all the work, all the focus, a referee’s fate could be defined by one bad call.

“We can’t eliminate all mistakes, but we will do everything we can to reduce them,” Busacca said.