Meet the all-female World Cup referee team

Stephanie Frappart, Neuza Back and Karen Diaz Medina made World Cup history last week at the Group E decider between Costa Rica vs Germany.

The match, which was the 43rd game of the tournament, was the first men's World Cup officiated by an all-female line up.

So, who are the women who were keeping things in check?

Stephanie Frappart (Referee)

French referee Stephanie Frappart became the first woman in the history of the World Cup to referee a finals match in the men's tournament. She previously conducted fourth official duties at the tournament in Qatar - during Mexico's 0-0 draw with Poland - but later took centre stage.

It was just the latest career milestone for the now 38-year-old having previously made history by being the first woman to referee a Ligue 1 as well as a Champions League game.

"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," she said, according to Fifa.

Neuza Back (Assistant referee)

Brazilian official Neuza Back is no stranger to being on both sides of the whistle, having previously played professional football before her refereeing career began.

The 37-year-old Santa Catarina native, whose brother is also a football referee, has officiated in more than 100 matches in Brazil's Series A and B.

In interviews since getting the call-up to officiate at the Qatar World Cup, Back revealed that she had not realised she had been selected until she heard it in the press.

Karen Diaz Medina (Assistant referee)

Karen Diaz Medina, from Mexico, has been a certified FIFA Assistant Referee since 2018, and she is no stranger to making history.

She was the first female referee to officiate in the second leg of a Liga MX Final in 2020.

She was also the first woman to be part of an officiating crew for a Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League Final in 2021, as well as the first woman from Concacaf to work a Senior Men’s FIFA tournament when officiating at the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup.

What does an all-female referee line up mean?

Before the tournament began, chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee Pierluigi Collina said of the three female referees at the World Cup: "They were not selected because they are women, but as FIFA referees. They could officiate any game."

The news that there would be an all-female line up officiating a men's World Cup game for the first time ever has been welcomed as a huge step toward progress, but there is seemingly still some way to go.

Fifa announced that just six female officials would head to Qatar as part of their 129-strong team of referees, which is made up of 36 referees, 69 assistant referees and 24 members of the video review team. Many football fans are therefore seeing this as only the start, and hope to see more female officials in future tournaments.

This article is kept updated with the latest information.