World cup 2022: female referees

Female referees will for the first time in history be officiating the men’s football at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. 

There are three female referees and three assistant referees in the 2022 World Cup.

According to FIFA Referee Committee Chairman Pierluigi Collin, the body working has been working towards gender equality.

“When choosing the referees, the committee focused on quality, not gender. The female referees will not get any special benefits because of their gender,” he said.

The three women who became the main referee of the World Cup are – Yamashita Yoshimi of Japan, Stephanie Frappart of France, and Salima Mukansanga of Rwanda. Also serving as assistant referees will be Brazil’s Neuza Back, USA’s Kathryn Nesbitt, and Mexico’s Karen Diaz Medina.

Salima Mukansanga – Rwanda

33-year-old Rwanda’s Salima Mukansanga made history earlier this year by becoming the first woman to ever referee at the 2022 African Cup of Nations.

She has officiated at the Olympics, FIFA Women’s World Cup, Africa Women’s Cup of Nation and CAF Women’s Champions League.

Yamashita Yoshimi – Japan

The 36-year-old female referee has officiated a match in the Asian Champions League as the first female referee. She also refereed the United States vs Sweden match at the 2020 Summer Olympics. She also served in the highest league of men’s football in Japan. As a result, she got the opportunity to manage the match in the World Cup 2022.

Stephanie Frappart – France 

38-year-old referee Fraparte has served as a FIFA international referee since 2011. She is the most experienced among women referees. She has experience officiating high-profile international matches, including the Women’s World Cup.

Neuza Back – Brazil

Neuza has been a FIFA referee since 2012. She has also officiated with FPF, CBF, and CONMEBOL. Back took a referee course in 2008, and she started her referee career briefly in 2009. Over the years, she referred several local matches in Brazil until she was listed in FIFA in 2012.

Karen Diaz Medina – Mexico

Karen Diaz got FIFA assistant referee certification in 2018 and served in several Concacaf tournaments, which include the Women’s U-17 Championship in Managua, Nicaragua, and the Scotiabank Concacaf League. She also played a role as assistant referee at the Men’s Under-20 Championship in Bradenton, Florida.

Kathryn Nesbitt – USA

She debuted in 2013 in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

Kathryn became the first woman to referee a championship football match in North America when she officiated an MLS match between Columbus Crew and Seattle Sounders. She was a chemist professionally but had a passion for football from childhood.

Salima Mukansanga First Female Referee at AFCON