History makers! All-female referee team take charge of Costa Rica vs Germany in World Cup first

1 December 2022, 18:22 | Updated: 1 December 2022, 19:08

An all-female refereeing team has taken charge of a men's game in a World Cup as Costa Rica face Germany in their Group E decider.

Frenchwoman Stephanie Frappart is the on-field ref for the match, and is the first woman to referee in a men's World Cup game.

She appeared as a fourth official for Mexico's 0-0 draw against Poland earlier in the tournament.

Ms Frappart became the first woman to officiate men's Ligue 1 and Champions League matches, and reffed a World Cup qualification game between the Netherlands and Latvia in 2021.

Mexican Karen Diaz Medina and Brazilian Neuza Back are her assistant referees.

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Before the tournament, the trailblazing official said: "We know the pressure. But I think we will not change ourselves. Be calm, focused, concentrate, and don't think too much about the media and everything, just be focused on the field.

"It’s a strong sign from FIFA and the authorities to have women referees in that country."

Three female referees are on FIFA's 36-person roster for the World Cup finals, with Japan's Yoshimi Yamashita and Rwanda's Salima Mukansanga still waiting to referee at the tournament.

Following their appointments by FIFA, legendary ref Pierluigi Collina, who is now chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, said: “We are very happy that with Stéphanie Frappart from France, Salima Mukansanga from Rwanda and Yoshimi Yamashita from Japan, as well as assistant referees Neuza Back from Brazil, Karen Díaz Medina from Mexico and Kathryn Nesbitt from the USA, we have been able to call up female match officials for the first time in the history of a FIFA World Cup.

"This concludes a long process that began several years ago with the deployment of female referees at FIFA men’s junior and senior tournaments.

"In this way, we clearly emphasise that it is quality that counts for us and not gender. 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.

"They deserve to be at the World Cup because they constantly perform at a really high level, and that’s the important factor for us."

The game is a must-win for Germany, who need three points against Costa Rica at Al Bayt Stadium if they're to stand a chance of making it to the last 16.

The four-time winners have just one point in Group E, while Costa Rica and Japan have three apiece.

Spain are currently top of the group with four points.