Stéphanie Frappart made history on Tuesday when she took the field as an official in the 2022 World Cup match between Mexico and Poland. In doing so, she became the first woman to officiate a men's World Cup match in the 92-year history of the tournament.
The 38-year old previously became the first woman to officiate matches in France's Ligue 1, the UEFA Champion League and also World Cup qualifying matches heading into Qatar 2022. Frappart became a FIFA-qualified referee back in 2009.
"I will go there for the competition. I wouldn't go there for the environment," Frappart said regarding the strict environment involving women in Qatar. "But perhaps this World Cup will improve women's rights in the country."
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Two more women, Japan's Yoshimi Yamashita, 36, and Rwanda's Salima Mukasanga, 34, will also officiate matches during the 2022 World Cup.
Legendary official Pierluigi Collina, who is the head of the referees' committee, stated that these women were not picked due to their gender. Collina added that these three women were also be permitted to officiate matches in countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia that have strict laws pertaining to women's rights.
Craving more World Cup coverage? Listen below and follow House of Champions, a daily CBS Sports soccer podcast, bringing you top-notch analysis, commentary, picks and more during the big games in Qatar.
For more on what to expect out of referees at the World Cup, such as semi-automated offsides and VAR, our rules analyst Christina Unkel has you covered.
