Celtic fans will need little introduction but the rest of the watching world might be curious as to who the 38-year-old Frenchwoman is making history in Qatar.
It's ironic that a competition that has been dogged by controversy for being held in a country that is supposedly backward that Stephanie Frappart will become the first female to take charge of a men's World Cup fixture. Such a move has taken almost a century - 92 years and 942 matches to be precise - but when Frappart leads Germany and Costa Rica out in front of almost 70,000 fans in the Al Bayt Stadium then it will be a momentous moment.
Celtic supporters are familiar with her work after she officiated the Hoops Champions League clash against Real Madrid in Spain earlier this season. Here, Record Sport takes a look at the woman who will make history in the Middle East in the final Group E showdown.
Who is Stephanie Frappart?
The 38-year-old hails from Le Plessis-Bouchard in northern France and started refereeing youth games from as young as 13. By the time she was 27 she was taking charge of matches in the French third division and beginning to make a name for herself. In 2020 she became the first woman to take charge of a men's Champions League clash when she oversaw Juventus' match against Dinamo Zagreb. She refereed the 2019 UEFA Super Cup Final between Chelsea and Liverpool and also officiated the women's World Cup Final that same year. Frappart's regular beat is in Ligue 1 after being appointed to the referee roster in 2019. She most recently refereed the 2022 French Cup Final between Nice and Nantes
Is she highly rated?
She is by chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee Pierluigi Collina who said of the three female whistlers selected for Qatar: "They were not selected because they are women, but as FIFA referees. They could officiate any game."
However, she came in for some heavy criticism following that Celtic match in the Santiago Bernabeu after awarding three first half penalties. Former Arsenal and France star Samir Nasri said: "Stephanie Frappart maybe she thought she was in Ligue 1. That's why there were so many penalties. But if it continues like this, she will end up in the Conference League."
How does she feel about making history?
She is taking it all in her stride and said: "The men's World Cup is the most important sporting competition in the world. I was the first referee in France and in Europe, so I know how to deal with it."
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