FIFA appoints first female Saudi Arabian football referee

January 08, 2023 | 00:31 |9499

The International Football Federation (FIFA) has appointed the first woman from Saudi Arabia, Anoud Al-Asmari, as an international referee, Al-Arabiya TV reported.

This comes less than a year after the first match involving Saudi Arabia's first women's team, which was created in 2019.

"I am happy to be the first female referee in the history of Saudi sports to receive international status," al-Asmari told AFP.

In December, the kingdom applied to host the Women's Asian Cup in 2026.

Over the past three years, the Saudi authorities have invested heavily in the development of grassroots football, competition, education, including the creation of the first women's football league and the school league for girls.

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