Charly Deretti and Bibiana Steinhaus-Webb have crossed paths 18 years on from their first encounter
Officiating pair are part of FIFA’s Team One at ongoing FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2025™
Former players both transitioned from playing the game to refereeing it
Brazil and China PR faced off in the Round of 16 at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2025™. The show-stopping Seleção swaggered to a 3-0 success that stirred up no shortage of memories for Charly Deretti, who is one of the 54 match officials on duty at the global showpiece.
The Brazilian footballer-turned-referee will have been keeping a particularly keen eye on events on Pitch 3 at the Football Academy Mohammed VI given that one of her national team caps came in a meeting with China PR. That encounter, which was contested in Thailand, came 18 years ago, and unlike the nations’ last 16 showdown, it did not come on the World Cup stage.
“Since taking my first steps in the game as a child, I’ve always dreamed of lining up at the World Cup. It’s a dream I’ve been chasing up until now, and by refereeing at the U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, it has come true,” said a beaming Deretti.
Born in 1987 in the southern Brazilian city of Jaraguá do Sul, Deretti made her first steps in the game as a fresh-faced 11-year-old, before going on to juggle her football commitments with futsal for a number of years. Her on-pitch exploits earned her a call-up to represent the Brazilian universities side, before her passion for refereeing left her other pursuits firmly in the shadows at the age of 25.
“I’d watch referees in charge of 11-a-side games and say to myself, ‘I could do that’. When I called time on my playing career, transitioning to refereeing was very much the logical step. I was keen to be out there on the pitch, remain in the game in some capacity and experience the sport from a different perspective,” added Deretti.
I’d say that being a player is a privilege and a blessing from God. When a player decides to become a referee, they gain a whole new perspective on the game. They enjoy the sport just as much as they did before, but in a different way
After hanging up her boots and picking up a whistle, the Brazilian official once again showed an ability to combine talent with graft as she gradually worked her way to the very top. A series of assured performances in various domestic competitions in her homeland paved the way for her to grace the U-17 showpiece in Morocco, where she has thus far overseen three matches, while renewing acquaintances with FIFA Head of Women’s Refereeing Bibiana Steinhaus-Webb, who has played an influential role in her career.
Indeed, as fate would have it, the German, a fellow former player who switched to refereeing, was the woman in the middle when Deretti and Co. took on China PR back in 2007.
“It feels like we first met a lifetime ago. So much has changed since then,” said Steinhaus-Webb. “Women’s football has grown massively, it’s gone from strength to strength. And here we are, a few years later – actually nearly two decades later – with the technology that’s now involved perhaps the one thing that’s had the biggest impact on the game from a refereeing perspective. The support that we receive these days from technology to make the right decision on the field of play is great, and I wish I’d have had that years ago.”
As was the case for Steinhaus-Webb, Deretti is part of a select group of officials who are able to call upon the experience of having played the game, with the understanding gained during her playing days giving her a significant advantage when overseeing high-stakes showdowns. “A former player brings so much football knowledge with them. They know the game inside out: how a match plays out and how teams set up, which gives them a massive advantage,” declared Steinhaus-Webb.
However, “switching from a player’s perspective to the referee’s presents a challenge,” cautioned the trailblazing FIFA chief, who was the first female referee to officiate in the professional ranks of the German men’s game. “Finding the best pocket of space in which to receive the ball or score as a player is a whole different ball game to taking up the best position to make the correct decision as a referee.”
In terms of the challenges facing officials, Deretti was quick to highlight the mental side of things. “As a referee, when you’re not having a good game, it’s totally different to when that happens to you as a player. A player always has another chance in the next match, and that’s not always the case for a referee. Every time I go out there, I tell myself that I have to perform and do a good job. The biggest challenge is to make sure I’m always ready, because you never quite know when your next match is going to be.”
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Despite the pressure that comes with officiating, the pair’s passion for the game remains firmly intact. Both are now looking forward to the semi-final stage of the U-17 extravaganza, with two mouth-watering ties to be played this Wednesday. The last-four contests will see Netherlands face off against Mexico, while holders Korea DPR do battle with Brazil for a final spot.
“Being a player is a privilege and a blessing from God. When a player decides to become a referee, they gain a whole new perspective on the game,” concluded Deretti. “They enjoy the sport just as much as they did before, but in a different way.”
And who knows, there might just be a budding referee or two set amongst the 504 starlets involved at this year’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, destined to follow in the footsteps of Deretti and Steinhaus-Webb?