Photo File: Israeli referee Sapir Berman, 31, the first transgender woman to judge an international football match, reacts during an Israeli Premier League match between Maccabi Netanya and Hapoel Beer Sheva, in Netanya, on August 24, 2025. When Berman officiated the Women’s Under-17 Euro qualifier between Northern Ireland and Montenegro in Belfast in March 2025, it was a first for European football, according to UEFA. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP)

Israeli referee Sapir Berman has made history as the first transgender woman to officiate a UEFA international match, describing the milestone as the moment her “dream came true.”

The 31-year-old, who presided over the Women’s Under-17 Euro qualifier between Northern Ireland and Montenegro in March, told AFP that becoming both a referee and her true self was “an uplifting, powerful feeling.”

“I always wanted to be a woman, and I always wanted to be a football referee — and then those two came together and fused into one dream that just exploded with joy,” Berman said.

Berman, who grew up in a football-loving family and once played as a defender, joined Israel’s referees association after realising her playing career would not progress. She officiated men’s Premier League matches but lived for years hiding her identity. The Covid-19 lockdown pushed her to embrace her transition, despite fears it could end her career.

Her journey has not been without setbacks  failed fitness tests and demotion during hormone therapy left her doubting her path. But with support from the referees’ body, a sports psychologist, and persistence, she made her comeback and earned her international badge this year.

Berman now dreams of refereeing at the Champions League, the European Championship, or the World Cup. On the pitch, reactions have largely been supportive, with players and fans treating her as they would any other referee. “The fans continued to curse me — only now, they did it in the feminine form,” she joked.

Beyond football, Berman says her visibility has given hope to young people struggling with identity. “That fills me up. It gives me so much strength… because at the end of the day, I chose myself.”