Joe Fletcher, the Canadian soccer official who made his World Cup debut on Wednesday, isn’t quit getting the recognition in Rio he’s received in Canada.
Fletcher, who’s garnered Canadian press for his role in the global soccer tournament, was snubbed by a FIFA official during a customary hand-shake before the match he was officiating, Spain’s Group B game against Chile.
A video on social media video site Vine captures the incident.
READ MORE: Canadian referee to make World Cup debut
It’s not clear whether it was a gaffe on the part of the FIFA official or whether the custom is to only shake hands with players headed onto the pitch. The official didn’t shake hands with the other referees either.
In any event, Fletcher played it cool. After pulling his hand back, he pretended to style his hair after the the apparent slight.
He’s bald.
It appears the FIFA official took note, and returned to Fletcher to shake hands.
Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas chuckled alongside the Canadian, patting the rookie World Cup ref on the back before the teams headed on to the pitch.
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