FIFA

History Being Made During Germany-Costa Rica Group E Finale

For greater inclusivity and representation purposes, Stephanie Frappart will break down this barrier by taking charge of the Germany-Costa Rica match

History is being made in Qatar on Thursday, Dec. 1 during Germany and Costa Rica’s Group E finale at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

This fixture will not only be a determinant of who will advance to the round of 16, but it will also be run entirely by female referees – which is something we have never seen before. 

For greater inclusivity and representation purposes, Stephanie Frappart will break down this barrier by taking charge of the Germany-Costa Rica match alongside an all-female officiating team.

She will be accompanied by assistant referees Neuza Back and Karen Diaz.

Let’s take a look at this history-in-the-making referee as we enter Thursday’s fixture:

Who is Stephanie Frappart?

The French referee started taking charge of Ligue 2 games and the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015 and 2019. She officiated the final match between the USA and the Netherlands during the Women’s World Cup in 2019. 

From there, Frappart shifted into officiating Ligue 1 matches and became the first female to referee games in the top tier of men’s French football. She officiated the 2019 European Super Cup final which featured Liverpool and Chelsea. 

Soon after, Frappart officiated her first men’s UEFA Champions League game in December 2020 and then her first FIFA World Cup qualifier in March 2021. Due to her impressive performance, she was selected by FIFA for the Germany-Costa Rica fixture in Qatar.

So far in the 2022 tournament, Frappart has served as a fourth official. So today’s game will be her first time in the spotlight.

Is Frappart the only female referee in Qatar?

Absolutely not.

Frappart, though the only female chosen to run the show, is far from the only one who is participating in the officiation of the matches. As aforementioned, she will be joined by Neuza Back and Karen Diaz.

Including Frappart, Back and Diaz, FIFA selected six female officials for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. 

The three female referees chosen were France’s Frappart, Rwanda’s Salima Mukansanga and Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita. 

The three female assistants chosen were Back, who is from Brazil, Diaz, who is from Mexico, and Kathryn Nerbitt from the United States.

When is the Germany-Costa Rica match?

The Germany-Costa Rica match will begin at 2 p.m. ET at Al Bayt Stadium in Qatar. 

How can I watch the Germany-Costa Rica match?

You can watch the game in English on FOX Sports 1 or in Spanish on Telemundo.

For Spanish streams go to, Copa Mundial de la FIFA 2022 en Español on Peacock

The match will be available to stream in English on FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports app

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