On Saturday, England will resume their 2022 World Cup qualifying duties as they take on minnows Andorra. That match is largely expected to be one-way traffic due to the huge gulf in class between the two sides, but it's also going to be noteworthy because it's set to be a historic event.
Not because of the players on the pitch, or the coaching staff, but rather who will be officiating the game.
For the first time in football history, a men's match will be officiated by an entirely female group of referees. Ukrainian referee Kateryna Monzul will be tasked with keeping things in order between England and Andorra, and it's the first time a senior men's England game will be under the officiating of a female referee. In addition, Ms. Monzul will be leading an all-female team comprising of fellow Ukranians Maryna Striletska and Svitlana Grushko.
Ms. Monzul is no stranger to refereeing men's matches, as she oversaw a Nations League clash in November 2020 featuring minnows San Marino and Gibraltar. The 40-year-old has been a referee in the Ukrainian Premier League since 2016, and has been in charge of women's matches since 2005.
She'll also be joined by France's Stephanie Frappart, who currently referees in Ligue 1 and made history herself as the first woman to referee a men's major European match in 2019, followed by a UEFA Champions League game in 2020 and then a men's World Cup qualifying game in 2021.
