{{short description|Swiss football referee (born 1979)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2025}} {{Infobox football official | name = Esther Staubli | image = Esther Staubli (16104801754).jpg | caption = Staubli (left) with Christen Press in 2015 | full_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1979|10|3|df=y}} | birth_place = Bern, Switzerland | death_date = | death_place = | otheroccupation = | years1 = 2014–2024 | league1 = Swiss Challenge League | role1 = Referee | internationalyears1 = 2006–2024 | confederation1 = FIFA listed | internationalrole1 = Referee | internationalyears2 = | confederation2 = | internationalrole2 = }}
'''Esther Staubli''' (born 3 October 1979) is a Swiss football referee. German-speaking Staubli is {{height|cm=168}} tall and has been on the FIFA International Referees List since 2006.<ref>{{cite web|title=Esther STAUBLI|url=https://www.fifa.com/u20womensworldcup/organisation/referees/referee=240087/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140810113807/http://www.fifa.com/u20womensworldcup/organisation/referees/referee=240087/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 August 2014|publisher=FIFA|access-date=17 April 2015}}</ref> An agronomist by trade, Staubli also lectures in a university.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/sport/Eine-grosse-Pruefung-fuer-die-Schiedsrichterin/story/24139063|title=Eine grosse Prüfung für die Schiedsrichterin|last1=Zürcher|first1=Christian|date=26 September 2014|access-date=13 May 2015|publisher=Tages-Anzeiger|language=de}}</ref>
She was selected to referee the 2015 UEFA Women's Champions League Final.
She also served as a referee for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/news/y=2015/m=3/news=22-referees-7-support-referees-and-44-assistant-referees-appointed-for-2580523.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150331171445/http://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/news/y=2015/m=3/news=22-referees-7-support-referees-and-44-assistant-referees-appointed-for-2580523.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=31 March 2015|title=22 referees, 7 support referees and 44 assistant referees appointed for FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015|publisher=FIFA.com|date=30 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://resources.fifa.com/mm/document/footballdevelopment/refereeing/02/58/05/09/matchofficialsfwwccanada2015_260315_neutral.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402102321/http://resources.fifa.com/mm/document/footballdevelopment/refereeing/02/58/05/09/matchofficialsfwwccanada2015_260315_neutral.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 April 2015|title=Referees and Assistant Referees for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015|publisher=FIFA.com}}</ref>
In 2014, she was voted fourth in the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) World's Best Woman Referee, behind winner Bibiana Steinhaus.<ref>{{cite web|title=THE WORLD’S BEST WOMAN REFEREE 2014|url=http://www.iffhs.de/the-worlds-best-woman-referee-2014/|publisher=International Federation of Football History & Statistics|access-date=18 April 2015|date=6 January 2015}}</ref>
Staubli refereed in the men's Swiss Challenge League for the first time in September 2014,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bingesser|first1=Felix|title=Bravo, Frau Staubli! Schiri-Frau brilliert bei Debüt|url=http://www.blick.ch/sport/fussball/challengeleague/bravo-frau-staubli-schiri-frau-brilliert-bei-debuet-id3152116.html|access-date=13 May 2015|publisher=Blick|date=25 September 2014|language=de}}</ref> after which she was complimented on her performance by FC Wohlen coach Ciriaco Sforza.
In 2017, Staubli became the first woman to officiate in a Men's U-17 World Cup as a referee, when she took charge of group stage match between Japan and New Caledonia at the 2017 U-17 World Cup in India.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/u17worldcup/news/first-female-referee-to-officiate-at-fifa-u-17-world-cup-india-2017-2913758|title=FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 - News - First female referee to officiate at FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 |last=FIFA.com|website=www.fifa.com|language=en-GB|access-date=4 July 2019}}</ref>
In December 2018, Staubli was appointed to referee at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/news/match-officials-appointed-for-fifa-women-s-world-cup-france-2019tm|title=FIFA Women's World Cup 2019 - News - Match officials appointed for FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019 |last=FIFA.com|website=www.fifa.com|language=en-GB|access-date=4 July 2019}}</ref>
On 9 January 2023, FIFA appointed her to the officiating pool for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.<ref name="fifa-2023">{{Cite press release |date=9 January 2023 |title=Match officials appointed for FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ |publisher=FIFA |url=https://www.fifa.com/technical/refereeing/news/match-officials-appointed-for-fifa-womens-world-cup-australia-and-new |access-date=9 January 2023}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category}} * {{WorldFootball.net|new_id=pe219761}}
{{S-start}} {{Succession box | before = {{flagicon|ROM}} Cristina Dorcioman | after = {{flagicon|UKR}} Kateryna Monzul | title = 2017 UEFA Women's Euro Final | years ='''{{flagicon|SWI}} Esther Staubli''' }} {{Succession box | before = {{flagicon|UKR}} Kateryna Monzul | after = {{flagicon|HUN}} Katalin Kulcsár | title = 2015 UEFA Women's Champions League Final | years ='''{{flagicon|SUI}} Esther Staubli''' }} {{S-end}}
{{UEFA Women's Euro 2022 referees}} {{2023 FIFA Women's World Cup referees}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Staubli, Esther}} Category:Living people Category:1979 births Category:Swiss football referees Category:Sportspeople from Bern Category:Swiss agronomists Category:2015 FIFA Women's World Cup referees Category:2019 FIFA Women's World Cup referees Category:2023 FIFA Women's World Cup referees Category:Women association football referees Category:UEFA Women's Euro 2022 referees Category:Football referees at the 2020 Summer Olympics