The former FIFA President, Joseph Blatter (pictured), took to the podium and his opening remarks made my dream a reality - the long journey from the dusty fields of the Cape Flats to the epic arenas of the World Cup has been completed.
"You are our team, the FIFA team, and you have the best seats in the house."
Zinedine Zidane, Gianluigi Buffon, Ronaldinho and I were going to rub shoulders. Zlatan Ibramhovic was going to learn to not mess with this boy.
So, what exactly does it take to become a World Cup referee? This question gets thrown at me often.
Off the bat? Patience. You need to understand that "[you] can do your best and others will decide if your best is good enough" - an unconfirmed quote attributed to legendary referee (and my hero) Pierluigi Collina.
This story is from the May 2023 edition of Soccer Club.
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This story is from the May 2023 edition of Soccer Club.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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