Every World Cup 2022 referee, as first all-female line-up confirmed for Germany vs Costa Rica

Stephanie Frappart will lead the first all-female official line-up when Germany take on Costa Rica on Thursday.

Fifa announced that six female officials would head to Qatar as part of their 129-strong team of referees, the first time that women have been included at their showpiece men’s tournament, but none of them had been appointed as referee or assistant referee so far across the first two rounds of group fixtures.

However, Frappart will be joined by Neuza Back and Karen Diaz Medina for Thursday’s Group E decider, the 43rd game of the tournament, with both Germany and Costa Roca vying for a place in the last-16.

French referee Frappart served as the fourth official in last Thursday’s match between Mexico and Poland, making history as the first female to be appointed as a World Cup official.

She was the first woman to referee a men’s Champions League game when she officiated the game between Juventus and Dynamo Kyiv in 2020, and has also been a familiar face in Ligue 1, the Europa League and the Uefa Supercup final between Chelsea and Liverpool in 2019.

Brazilian official Back and Diaz Medina, from Mexico, will make their World Cup bows as assistant referees, while Salima Mukansanga from Rwanda and Yoshimi Yamashita from Japan, plus assistant Kathryn Nesbitt from the USA, are yet to be allocated a match.

Mukansanga says she is prepared to officiate games involving countries where women’s rights have been highlighted as a concern.

“Whatever game I am designated to be at, I will do it,” she said. “I will do it from the bottom of my heart because I want to be here and deserve to be here. Whatever game, I don’t care. The importance is that I’m going to get the game and work towards giving my best to perform.

"We deserve to be here. We have worked hard and are working with our brothers to be here. It’s not easy or difficult to be a woman. It’s about understanding what we have to do and giving the best we have to succeed. Everywhere we are we share our identity as referees.

“It’s a privilege. In football, it is not about the sex of the referee. The decision is always the decision. Being a woman doesn’t matter. The importance is the decision and the performance. This is my dream to perform at the World Cup. If I got to the final I would be appreciating that it is my dream.”

Kathryn Nesbitt, the assistant referee from USA, confirmed that female referees will be in their usual kit.  “We are all in the same matching for training and have been provided the same clothing. We are just trying to be respectful of the culture here,” she said.

How many referees are working at Qatar 2002?

36 referees will take charge of the 64 matches in the World Cup tournament. Those referees come from 29 different countries.

Which country has the most referees at the World Cup?

Of the different nations represented; four countries have two. That’s serial World Cup winners France, Brazil, Argentina and, what do you know, little old England.

So how many English referees are at the World Cup?

England have two referees – Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor.

Does Wales have a referee at the World Cup?

Unfortunately, no.

Who is the most famous referee at the World Cup?

The most familiar names to England eyes might be the Premier League pair of Oliver and Taylor, but Champions League viewers will recognise Slavko Vinčić of Slovenia, Antonio Mateu Lahoz of Spain and Clement Turpin of France.

Any local men in black (or other Fifa-mandated shirt colour?)

All hail Abdulrahman Al Jassim, who becomes the first Qatari referee in World Cup history.

Who are the referees at Qatar World Cup 2022?

Ivan Barton (Slovenia)

Chris Beath (Australia)

Raphael Claus (Brazil)

Matthew Conger (New Zealand)

Ismail Elfath (United States)

Mario Escobar (Guatemala)

Alireza Faghani (Iran)

Stephanie Frappart (France)

Bakary Gassama (Gambia)

Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria)

Victor Gomes (South Africa)

Istvan Kovacs (Romania)

Ning Ma (China)

Danny Makkelie (Netherlands)

Szymon Marciniak (Poland)

Antonio Mateu (Spain)

Andres Matias Matonte Cabrera (Uruguay)

Mohammed Abdulla Mohammed (UAE)

Salima Mukansanga (Rwanda)

Maguette N’Diaye (Senegal)

Michael Oliver (England)

Daniele Orsato (Italy)

Kevin Ortega (Peru)

Cesar Ramos (Mexico)

Fernando Rapallini (Argentina)

Wilton Sampaio (Brazil)

Daniel Siebert (Germany)

Janny Sikazwe (Zambia)

Anthony Taylor (England)

Facundo Tello (Argentina)

Clement Turpin (France)

Jesus Valenzuela (Venezuela)

How many assistant referees and video referees are there?

There are 69 assistant referees and 24 video match officials. Var is in use at the World Cup.

What referees at Qatar have got history with England?

Dutchman Danny Makkelie was in charge of England’s 2020 Euro semi-final with Denmark and was criticised for giving the foul on Raheem Sterling in extra time.

Slavko Vinčić of Slovenia has a wealth of continental competition experience; Arsenal fans might remember him from their 2021 Europa League semi with Villareal. He was also the referee for the 2022 UEFA Europa League Final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers.

Antonio Mateu Lahoz, the Spaniard, was in charge of the 2021 Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea.

Do they mix and match the refs and assistant refs?

No, they come as a power trio.

How do they pick the referees at the Fifa World Cup?

All the refs are Fifa Grade 1, they have to be nominated by their national association. They also have to pass fitness tests – presumably in conditions that are something like Doha in November, not Doncaster – over 40 metre sprints, and an interval test featuring 75-metre sprints and two 12.5 metre recovery walks.

Who are the strictest refs at the World Cup?

Keep an eye out for Italian Daniele Orsato; he has dished out 33 cards (one of which was a red) as well as giving two penalties all in just five European qualifiers to Qatar.

Frappart only did two qualifying games but produced 10 cards.

Further afield, Raphael Claus of Brazil saw fit to put 30 people on his naughty list in just five qualifying matches.

Young Master Michael Oliver, who famously became the youngest Premier League referee at the age of just 25, also has a high yellow card rate: he booked 26 in his five qualifiers.