A milestone in officiating
Stéphanie Frappart has been appointed as a full‑time refereeing officer at UEFA, the governing body announced on Thursday. In this role she will train and appoint match officials for the continent’s premier competitions, taking over from Czech veteran Dagmar Damková, who held the position for several years.
Frappart’s career has been marked by a series of historic firsts. She became the first woman to officiate a match in France’s Ligue 1, and in 2022 she made history again by refereeing Germany’s 4‑2 victory over Costa Rica at the men’s World Cup. Her appointment at UEFA builds on that trailblazing trajectory, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to gender diversity in high‑level football.
The French official also boasts experience on the biggest stages of women’s football, having presided over the finals of the 2019 Women’s World Cup and the 2025 European Women’s Championship. Her expertise now extends to the men’s game, where she will help shape the next generation of referees across UEFA’s tournaments.
Tori Penso of the United States, who recently became the second woman to referee a match at the men’s World Cup, is slated to officiate her second such game later this month. While Penso’s appointment underscores the growing presence of women in men’s international football, Frappart’s new role at UEFA represents a structural shift, embedding a pioneering female referee within the organization’s officiating hierarchy.
Damková’s departure marks the end of an era in which Czech refereeing had long been a fixture in UEFA’s match‑official lineup. Her successor, Frappart, brings a global perspective and a proven record of breaking barriers, signaling UEFA’s intent to continue expanding the role of women in the administration and supervision of elite football matches.