World Cup 2022: Female referees to officiate tournament for first time

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, France's Stephanie Frappart is one of three female referees who has been selected for the 2022 men's World Cup

Female referees are to officiate at a men's World Cup for the first time.

France's Stephanie Frappart, Rwanda's Salima Mukansanga and Japan's Yoshimi Yamashita have been selected to take charge of games in Qatar.

They will be supported by three female assistant referees, Neuza Back of Brazil, Mexico's Karen D铆az Medina and Kathryn Nesbitt from the United States

Stephanie Frappart has been on the FIFA International Referees List since 2009.

She was also the first female to referee a Champions League match and a Euros Qualifier.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Salima Mukansanga refereeing African Cup of Nations in January 2022

Salima Mukansanga was the first woman to officiate at the men's 33rd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

Yoshimi Yamashita made history in April this year when she became the first woman to take charge of an Asian Football Confederation Champions League match.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Yoshimi Yamashita took charge of the AFC Champions League match between Melbourne City and Jeonnam Dragons on April 21, 2022 in Thailand.

"As always, the criteria we have used is 'quality first' and the selected match officials represent the highest level of refereeing worldwide," said the chairman of Fifa's referees committee Pierluigi Collina.

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

"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."