Doha, 12 November 2022 (TDI): FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is all set to begin on 21st November. The FIFA Referees Committee has announced the list of 36 referees and 69 assistant referees.
History will be made this year as the committee has announced the name of six female referees to officiate at the FIFA World Cup 2022.
It is worth mentioning here that in the entire 92-year history of the men’s World Cup, this will be the first tournament with female match officials.
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Among them are three main referees including Yamashita Yoshimi, Salima Mukansanga, and Stephanie Frappart. These are selected from the plethora of the world’s best match officials to be named among 36 final referees.
The assistant referees include Neuza Back of Brazil, Mexico’s Karen Diaz Medina, and American Kathryn Nesbitt, selected among the 69 best world assistant referees.
Referring to this new addition to the World Cup, chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, Pierluigi Collina stated “We are very happy to be able to call up female match officials for the first time in the history of a FIFA World Cup.”
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“I hope in the future, the selection of elite women’s match officials will be perceived as something normal and no longer as sensational,” continued Collina.
He further elaborated that “The criteria we have used is ‘quality first’ and the selected match officials represent the highest level of refereeing worldwide.”
Yamashita Yoshimi
Yamashita Yoshimi belongs to Japan. This will be her second consecutive World Cup after officiating the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France.
She also took charge at the 2020 Olympic Games, held in 2021, in a game between the United States & Sweden. The 36-year-old is relishing the opportunity to be part of history & considers it a sign to other people that women’s potential is always growing.
Salima Mukansanga
Rwandan referee Salima Mukansanga has officiated several matches. She took charge at the 2019 Women’s World Cup, and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Mukansanga is certainly no stranger to the world stage. She has also taken charge at the men’s Africa Cup of Nations earlier in 2022. The 34-year-old elite football official declared this opportunity as ‘a dream come true’.
Stephanie Frappart
French official Stephanie Frappart is among the most recognized names listed for the FIFA World Cup. The 38-year-old has a career filled with firsts, and in Qatar, she will continue to strike out.
In the past, she refereed the 2019 World Cup in France and officiated at the UEFA Super Cup final the same year.
She pronounced that the inclusion of women in the World Cup is a strong sign from FIFA and the authorities. She hoped that this decision can “make things happen”.
