Woman Finally Gets to Blow the Whistle in Men’s Football Here

For the first time in its 113 years of history, the German men’s national football team will have its first female referee, a step forward towards more equity in the world of sports.

“It’s a great honor for me, I’m really looking forward to the game,” says the 36-year-old referee Ivana Martincic from Croatia. “The clubs and players need time to accept me.”

A few women already paved the way in terms of men’s football. France, the Czech Republic, Wales, and Ukraine have female referees in men’s leagues. Not long ago, Martincic led a game in the first Croatian men’s league. She has been a member of the Fifa elite group since 2019.