It appears no one in the Vancouver government wants a shot at the FIFA Peace Prize.
The Vancouver Police Department announced Wednesday it is rejecting a request for FIFA president Gianni Infantino to be given a police escort while he’s in Vancouver for FIFA meetings, per the Associated Press.
It turns out they only do that for heads of state, per their statement:
"Formal motorcades where traffic is stopped are reserved for heads of state," Deputy Chief Don Chapman said in a statement.
"As the FIFA executive do not meet Internationally Protected Person (IPP) standards that would warrant such an escort [closing roads, intersections, not adhering to traffic devices, etc.], the request was declined," Chapman said.
The VPD did, however, clarify that FIFA’s arm — in this case FWC26 Canada, the local organizers — "never requested a specific level of police motorcade for the FIFA President.”
That’s a push back on a report from The Athletic on Tuesday that claimed FIFA had specifically requested a level-four motorcade escort, which is what the U.S. president or the Pope could expect while in Vancouver.
Vancouver is one of the 16 sites planned for the 2026 World Cup, which kicks off on June 11 and will be held across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. FIFA is reportedly holding meetings this week in Vancouver, with its Congress coming together on Thursday.
Unfortunately, they will have to observe normal traffic laws:
A spokesperson for Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said the police department confirmed “there will be no motorcade proceeding through traffic signals, and no Emergency Response Team assigned in the manner described.”
"Any transportation arrangements that are made will be appropriate, measured, and consistent with how Vancouver safely hosts major international events," Sim's office said in a statement.
A representative of the Toronto Police Department has also made it preemptively clear that most FIFA officials can expect the same treatment in the only other Canadian host city during the World Cup:
Toronto Police spokesperson Stephanie Sayer said the force does not have plans to provide escorts for VIPs at the World Cup.
“Any such request would be considered on a case-by-case basis,” Sayer said. “We will be providing escorts for teams and certain officials where there are clear public safety needs, for example, to prevent large crowds from gathering around team vehicles.”
It’s unlikely any of this would be different if FIFA had an internationally popular president, which Infantino certainly is not. Still, he’ll be happy if this is the biggest hitch FIFA encounters over the next few months.
