Ligue 1 Appoints First Woman Referee For A Topflight Fixture

French official Stephanie Frappart will become the first woman to referee a Ligue 1 match when Amiens host Strasbourg on Sunday.

She has been selected for the game by the French Football Federation to “prepare her for World Cup conditions”.

Frappart will officiate at her second Women’s World Cup later this year.

Germany’s Bibiana Steinhaus has refereed in the Bundesliga, but no woman has taken charge of a top-flight match in England, Spain or Italy.

35-year-old Frappart was the first woman to referee a Ligue 2 fixture in 2014.

“Fifa has invited the federations with a chosen referee for the World Women’s Cup, to prepare them under the best conditions for this high-level competition,” an FFF statement said.

“Their preparation, technical and athletic [ability] will also be focused on the use of video assistance, which will be in function at this World Cup.”

Frappart, who was part of the officiating team at the World Cup in 2015, refereed England’s 3-0 semi-final defeat by the Netherlands at the Women’s European Championships in 2017.

Germany’s Steinhaus was the first woman to take charge of a match in a top European League, refereeing a 2017 Bundesliga match between Hertha Berlin and Werder Bremen.