Making history has become something of a pastime for Stephanie Frappart.
After the French official ticked her name into the history books earlier in the tournament when she became the first woman to serve as a fourth official at a World Cup in the goalless draw between Mexico and Poland, Frappart will crank up the stakes that little bit further on Thursday when she leads out the first all-female officiating team at a men’s World Cup for Germany’s all-or-nothing Group E clash with Costa Rica. In the process, she will become the first female referee to take charge of a match in the 92-year history of the tournament.
The occasion is defining and momentous for female referees around the world, but it is nothing if not on brand for the serial trailblazer.
