WOMEN'S WORLD CUP 2023
Who is Stéphanie Frappart, the referee for Sweden vs USWNT at the Women’s World Cup?
Frappart, 39 has been handed Sunday’s big-name round-of-16 match-up in Melbourne, as Sweden and the US battle it out for the right to face Japan.
France’s Stéphanie Frappart will be the referee for this weekend’s heavyweight last-16 clash between Sweden and the USWNT at the Women’s World Cup.
Ranked third and first in the world, respectively, the Swedes and the Americans go head to head in Melbourne at 5am ET/2am PT on Sunday, with a quarter-final against Japan awaiting the winner.
If you're in the United States, you'll be able to watch Sweden vs the USWNT live online on fuboTV, which offers users a free trial.
Who is Stéphanie Frappart?
Frappart has big-match experience in both men’s and women’s soccer.
A referee who plies her trade domestically in Ligue 1 - the top flight of the French men’s club game - the 39-year-old took charge of the Women’s World Cup final four years ago, as the USWNT beat the Netherlands in Paris to win their fourth title.
Later that summer, Frappart became the first woman to referee a UEFA men’s club final, when she was appointed to Liverpool’s 2019 European Super Cup victory over Chelsea in Istanbul.
She then established herself as the first female to oversee a men’s Champions League game in 2020, and - having taken charge of the men’s Coupe de France final in May 2022 - made further history when she was included among the referees for the men’s World Cup late last year.
One of three female referees to go to Qatar 2022, Frappart refereed one game at the tournament: Germany’s 4-2 group-stage victory over Costa Rica.
Women’s World Cup veteran
Now at her third Women’s World Cup, Frappart has so far whistled two matches in Australia and New Zealand. She was handed Switzerland and Norway’s 0-0 Group A draw on 25 July, before taking on a major assignment six days later, when she ran the rule over the crunch, big-name match-up between co-hosts Australia and Olympic champions Canada in Group B. The Matildas’ 4-0 win in Melbourne took them through to the knockout stages at the Canadians’ expense.
Frappart is yet to send anyone off at the 2023 Women’s World Cup; indeed, she has shown just two yellow cards across her two games at the tournament.
Record-breaking Clásico clash
Among the other high-profile women’s games on Frappart’s resumé is a Women’s Champions League quarter-final between Spanish arch rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid, in March 2022. Played at Barça’s Camp Nou stadium, the game attracted a crowd of just over 91,500 - at the time a world record for a women’s soccer match.
Who are Frappart’s assistants for Sweden vs USWNT?
In Sunday’s Sweden vs USWNT clash, Frappart’s assistant referees will be fellow Frenchwomen Manuela Nicolosi and Elodie Coppola, while Australia’s Casey Reibelt will be the fourth official.
The video assistant referee (VAR) will be Italy’s Massimiliano Irrati, and the assistant VAR will be Nicaragua’s Tatiana Guzmán. The offside VAR will be Germany’s Katrin Rafalski.
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