Stephanie Frappart to become first female referee in Ligue 1

PARIS: A men's top flight game in France will be refereed by a woman for the first time this weekend when Stephanie Frappart takes charge of the Ligue 1 game between Amiens and Strasbourg, the French Football Federation (FFF) has announced.

Frappart, 35, makes the step up having been a referee in France's Ligue 2 since 2014.

She will also referee at the women's World Cup, which will be held in France in June and July.

The FFF said the appointment for Sunday's match followed a request from FIFA to help referees involved in the World Cup "prepare in the best conditions".

Germany's Bibiana Steinhaus became the first female referee in one of the top European leagues when she took charge of a Bundesliga match between Hertha Berlin and Werder Bremen in September 2017.