Vancouver PD rejects FIFA president Gianni Infantino's request for a motorcade during World Cup
The head of FIFA won't be getting the presidential treatment in Vancouver.
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.