Canadian authorities denied a request for a police escort for FIFA President Gianni Infantino ahead of key World Cup-related meetings in Vancouver.
The Vancouver Police Department said on Wednesday that it rejected a request to provide a motorcade for the FIFA president during his visit because the escorts are reserved for heads of state.
Recommended Stories
“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,” the department said in a statement, according to the Associated Press.
The decision comes as soccer’s global governing body convenes its annual Congress in Vancouver, a gathering of representatives from its 211 member associations. The meetings are part of broader preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Canada, the United States, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
Vancouver is one of 16 host cities for the expanded tournament, which will be the first World Cup to feature 48 teams. The city is expected to host several matches, making security planning a central issue for local officials.
The denied escort request comes as scrutiny grows over World Cup security planning, particularly as the war in Iran continues.
Iran’s soccer team is expected to participate in the tournament, and its football chief has said the team will not travel to America if President Donald Trump can’t ensure the security of the players.
Lawmakers in the U.S. have also raised security concerns about the tournament, with some accusing Trump of creating a toxic environment.
In the U.S., the World Cup will take place in 11 cities, and Democratic members of Congress have said policies set in place by the Department of Homeland Security, including those regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, could discourage some people from attending or participating in the games, impacting the event’s success.
On the other side of the aisle, the DHS shutdown has raised concerns about the department’s Office of Situational Awareness’s ability to prepare for the event.
In March, the European Union sports commissioner, Glenn Micallef, publicly criticized FIFA leadership over unclear security coordination and rising risks tied to the tournament’s scale, warning that host countries could face logistical and political challenges if responsibilities are not clearly defined.
The 2026 tournament is expected to be the largest in FIFA history, spanning three countries and dozens of venues, increasing the complexity of coordinating security across jurisdictions.
SOTOMAYOR AND JACKSON GRILL DOJ ON TRUMP’S ‘S***HOLE’ HAITI REMARKS
Micallef previously said he would prefer a partnership between “multilateral organizations, organizations that respect the international rules-based order.”
FIFA has maintained that safety and security are “top priority” and that the organization is confident that host nations’ governments will create a safe and secure environment.
