The match between Japan and New Caledonia on Saturday will mark the first time a female referee will officiate a game at a Fifa U-17 World Cup. Switzerland’s Esther Staubli will be the first female referee to officiate a World Cup game after her appointment for Saturday’s match to be played at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan Stadium in Kolkata.
Fifa’s objective to further develop women’s football, a new milestone has been achieved in India as Esther Staubli is set to become the first female referee to officiate a match at the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017.
Staubli is one of seven women referees invited to the ongoing FIFA U-17 World Cup where all the male and female match officials, nominated by FIFA’s Referees Committee, have completed a host of activities together in a series of seminars, including theoretical sessions in the classroom and practical sessions on the field of play.
She has also officiated as referee at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015, UEFA Women’s Champions League Final 2015 and Olympic Football Tournament in Rio 2016.