Rebecca Welch makes history in the Premier League

On Saturday, Rebecca Welch became the first woman to referee a match in the first division of the English men's soccer championship, as she was in charge of dispensing justice during the match between Fulham and Burnley on Matchday 18 of the Premier League, which They took the Clarets 2-0.

The 40-year-old referee gave the opening whistle at London's Craven Cottage stadium, where she had already served as fourth referee in November, during Fulham's 1-0 defeat against Manchester United, which was also a novelty.

With this, Rebecca Welch follows in the footsteps of Frenchwoman Stéphanie Frappart, now a Ligue 1 referee after having overcome several barriers in men's soccer. In 2021, the Englishwoman became the first woman to referee a professional match in the country, a League Two (fourth division) match between Port Vale and Harrogate.

Since then she has directed matches in the Championship (Second Division) and in the English Cup. A referee since 2010, she continued working until 2019 in the National Health Service (NHS), the British health system, before concentrating full-time on her career as a referee.

Who is Rebecca Welch?

Welch's face is a regular in the Women's Super League, the English women's championship; She also officiated matches during the last 2023 Women's World Cup that took place in Australia and New Zealand.