Three women were picked to officiate matches at the World Cup — the first time a woman will be in charge on the game's biggest stage. Referees Yoshimi Yamashita of Japan, Stephanie Frappart of France and Salima Mukansanga of Rwanda are in a pool of 36 referees listed for Qatar — the rest are all men. FIFA has also named three female assistant referees in a pool of 69: Neuza Back of Brazil, Karen Diaz Medina of Mexico and Kathryn Nesbitt of the United States. Yamashita, Frappart and Mukansanga have all worked men's matches, and their World Cup debut comes in a Middle Eastern country where the role of women is closely prescribed. “If I need to communicate with the players, I will do that. If I need to show a card, I will show a card,” Yamashita said. “Rather than control, I’m thinking about what to do toward the big goal of bringing out the appeal of soccer.” #worldcup #soccer