UEFA names trailblazing official Frappart as refereeing officer

The French official enters the history books when she became the first woman to referee a French Ligue 1 match in 2019

Football - Ligue 1 - Olympique de Marseille v FC Metz - Orange Velodrome, Marseille, France - Apr 10, 2026 Referee Stephanie Frappart talks to FC Metz's Sadibou Sane and Olympique de Marseille's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. REUTERS

UEFA has appointed French official Stephanie Frappart as a refereeing officer on its referees committee, European football's governing body announced on Thursday.

Frappart, an international referee since 2010, will handle referee development, performance monitoring, technical guidance and match official appointments for UEFA competitions. Frappart entered the history books when she became the first woman to referee a French Ligue 1 match in 2019, officiating a game between Amiens and Strasbourg.

The same year, Frappart also took charge of the UEFA Super Cup between Liverpool and Chelsea, becoming the first woman to officiate in a major men's European match.

In 2022, Frappart became the first woman to referee a men's FIFA World Cup match when she led an all-female officiating team during the group-stage game between Costa Rica and Germany in Qatar. In the women's game, her major appointments include refereeing the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup final and the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 final.