Women referees will be officiating at this year’s men's FIFA World Cup for the first time ever. Football’s governing body has selected three women referees to take charge of games in the showpiece event in Qatar.
In total, 50 referees were whittled down to a final 36 from 31 different nations who will participate in the tournament.
England will be represented in Qatar by two referees: Michael Oliver, who will be taking part in his first international tournament, and Anthony Taylor, who, while refereeing at his first World Cup, has previous experience of the big international stage having been involved in Euro 2020 (held in 2021).
Read more: How the World Cup will actually play out and who is likely to go all the way
As for the women who will all be officiating at their first World Cups, they hail from France, Rwanda and Japan. Let’s take a closer look at who they are and their journeys to the World Cup in Qatar:
Stephanie Frappart (France)
Frappart, 38, has been on the FIFA International Referees List since 2009. She has refereed several high-profile games and was the first woman to officiate a French Ligue 1 match and a men's Champions League match. She was also the first woman to take charge of a men’s World Cup qualifying match: Holland’s clash with Latvia last year. She was also the referee for the 2022 Coupe de France final in Paris, when Nantes beat Nice 1-0.
Salima Mukansanga (Rwanda)
Mukansanga, 34, has been an international referee since 2012. She was an official at the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France, and became the first woman to officiate at the men's Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year. She has also officiated games at the Olympics, the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and the Women’s Champions League.
She told BBC Africa: “It’s an honour and a privilege because it’s never happened before. It means you’re going to be the first one and going to open the door for other women, especially in Africa. You carry a lot on your shoulders and you need to carry it well, so others can see that the door is open and they can also go through. It means the opportunities are there - and it’s up to us to take them and become productive from them.”
Yoshimi Yamashita (Japan)
Yamashita, 36, is the least experienced of the three women referees in Qatar, but she has taken part in some major games already, including the Women’s World Cup in 2019 and the 2020 Olympics. She has refereed in each of Japan’s top three leagues, and is the first woman to referee a game in the AFC Champions League - the most prestigious club competition in Asian football - and the J1 League, which is the top level of professional football in Japan.
GOOD LUCK MESSAGES:
Send your message of support to the Wales football team at the World Cup here
Read next:
- Inside Qatar's fan park where a beer costs £12 and you don't even get a pint
- Why David Beckham is receiving so much criticism about the World Cup in Qatar
- Famous Welsh choir's version of Yma o Hyd released and it's utterly breathtaking
- World Cup host city is decked out in Welsh branding but some of it is unfinished
- Play the ultimate Wales at the World Cup quiz
