Top 10 Most Attractive Female Football Referees
Yasmine Green
Dailysports's expert
Translated by the editors
Times when football referees were exclusively men seem to be fading away. More and more female referees are stepping onto the field worldwide, delighting football fans with their presence.
Here’s our list of the top 10 most prominent female football referees:
10. Akhona Makalima
36-year-old Akhona Makalima from South Africa has been an international FIFA referee since 2014. In addition to officiating women's matches, she served as the VAR referee for this year's CAF Super Cup.
9. Alyssa Nichols
American referee Alyssa Nichols became a referee at the age of 17. In January 2023, at 27, she became the youngest Black woman to receive a FIFA referee badge. Nichols is highly intelligent, having graduated with honors in chemistry.
8. Sian Massey-Ellis
39-year-old British referee Sian Massey-Ellis officiates Premier League matches as an assistant referee. She was first appointed to officiate a men's match on December 28, 2010.
Massey-Ellis is also known for being censored by Iranian state TV, as women are prohibited from showing their legs in public in Iran. During a broadcast of the Manchester United vs. Tottenham match, she was completely cut from the footage.
7. Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi
34-year-old Italian Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi developed her passion for football when her father took her to watch her hometown team, Livorno. She became the first woman to officiate a Serie A match on September 28, 2022.
Not only is she a referee, but she also has a master's degree in sociology.
6. Claudia Umpierrez
Uruguayan referee Claudia Umpierrez was born into a football family. She played football as a child, and her father was a coach, her uncle a professional player, and her maternal grandfather a referee.
She became the first female referee in Uruguay, officiating her first men's match on September 29, 2015. In the same year, she was ranked among the top 10 referees in the world by IFFHS.
5. Elif Karaarslan
24-year-old Turkish referee Elif Kararslan played football until the age of 16, when she suffered a cruciate ligament injury. After quitting her playing career, she transitioned into refereeing.
Karaarslan gained widespread attention due to a scandal in October 2024. A pornographic video surfaced online showing her and 61-year-old Turkish Super Lig match inspector Orhan Erdemir, leading to both being banned for life. Elif intends to challenge her suspension, claiming the video was fabricated using AI.
4. Sofia Prichina
Ukrainian referee Sofia Prichina, who also played football before her refereeing career, began officiating at 23 in 2021. Since 2023, she has been refereeing men's matches in the Ukrainian Championship and Cup.
3. Aurélie Sara Bollé
Swiss referee Aurélie Sara Bollé officiates amateur football leagues in Switzerland. She is content with her current position and has stated she has no intention of becoming a professional referee. But it would certainly be great if she did!
2. Fernanda Colombo Uliana
The charming blonde Fernanda Colombo from Brazil has retired from refereeing and now works as a sports journalist. She actively interacts with her 1.9 million Instagram followers. Colombo previously officiated matches in Brazil’s Serie C and A.
She became widely known for a viral video in which, during an Ecuadorian league match, she mistakenly pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her forehead instead of a red card.
1. Claudia Romani
Italian Claudia Romani, often called the sexiest referee, is famous for her model figure, which she confidently shares with her Instagram followers.
Romani became the first woman in Italy to be authorized to officiate Serie A matches. A passionate AC Milan fan, she is also renowned for her modeling career and television hosting. She has a massive Instagram following of 1.3 million people.
