The half-dozen named to the selection will break boundaries when they step out at the tournament at the end of the year

Three female referees and three female assistant referees have been confirmed among the officials roster for the Qatar 2022 World Cup later this year, in a major first for the international game.

It will be the first time referees of the opposite gender have led matches in men’s football’s biggest tournament.

Speaking on the boundary-breaking announcement, FIFA stated that they hoped the move would become the norm rather than the exception in future editions.

What has been said about the appointment?

“We are very happy that with Stephanie Frappart from France, Salima Mukansanga from Rwanda and Yoshimi Yamashita from Japan (pictured above), as well as assistant referees Neuza Back from Brazil, Karen Díaz Medina from Mexico and Kathryn Nesbitt from the USA(pictured below), we have been able to call up female match officials for the first time in the history of a FIFA World Cup”, FIFA Referees Committee chairman Pierluigi Collina stated.

“This concludes a long process that began several years ago with the deployment of female referees at FIFA men’s junior and senior tournaments. In this way, we clearly emphasise that it is quality that counts for us and not gender.

“I would hope that in the future, the selection of elite women’s match officials for important men’s competitions will be perceived as something normal and no longer as sensational. They deserve to be at the FIFA World Cup because they constantly perform at a really high level, and that’s the important factor for us.”

Who else is included on the list?

The rest of the 36-strong referee list includes a host of familiar names, with Premier League duo Anthony Taylor and Michael Oliver both included, as well as Frenchman Clement Turpin, who will officiate this month’s Champions League final.

SOURCE: Goal.com