For the first time in its 92-year history, the men’s World Cup could have some matches officiated by women. FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, announced Thursday that its field of 129 referees and video match officials for this year’s event in Qatar will include six women.
“This concludes a long process that began several years ago with the deployment of female referees at FIFA men’s junior and senior tournaments,” Pierluigi Collina, the chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, said in a statement. “In this way, we clearly emphasize that it is quality that counts for us and not gender.