No Vancouver police escort for Infantino, FIFA deny making request

FILE PHOTO - FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during the DAZN pre-match interview ahead of the Club World Cup final soccer match between Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain at Metlife Stadium. Sven Hoppe/dpa

Police in Vancouver have said FIFA president Gianni Infantino won't get a requested police escort for Thursday's congress of the ruling football body in the Canadian city, while FIFA denied having made such a request.

"Formal motorcades where traffic is stopped are reserved for heads of state," police department deputy chief Don Chapman was quoted by local media as saying in a statement.

"As the FIFA executive do not meet Internationally Protected Person (IPP) standards that would warrant such an escort, the request was declined."

An escort would have involved closing roads and intersections as well as not adhering to traffic lights, among others.

But FIFA said early Thursday on X it "never requested a specific level of police motorcade for the FIFA President.

"The FIFA President was not aware of, or involved in, any requests with authorities in relation to his transportation and security matters for the 76th FIFA Congress."

FIFA has had various activities in Vancouver this week, including a council meeting on Tuesday. The annual congress bringing together all member federations is later on Thursday.

Vancouver one of the host cities of the June 11-July 19 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. The other Canadian host city is Toronto.