Calgary soccer referee now able to officiate FIFA World Cup, Olympics

A Calgary manis now a member of theworld'smostelite pool of soccer referees.

Drew Fischer has been awarded theFIFA2015 international badge, a honour held by only a handful of Canadians and two other male referees.

After years of training, the Calgary physicistis nowqualified to officiate matchesat the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup.

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"Every referee would love to referee a World Cup Final, but one guy gets to do that every four years. It's a slim pool,"said Fischer.

He started when he was 13 years old as a way to "earn a couple of bucks in high school" and has been doing it professionally since 2007.

Fischerwas hired four years agoby theProfessional Referee Organization (PRO),which assigns him to games across Canada and the United States.

Hesays the biggest tournament he's officiated to date was theAS Roma1-0 victory over Real Madrid at the2014International Champions Cupin Dallas, Texas.

When asked by the Calgary Eyeopeneron Monday what it feelslike to be in a stadium with 60,000 people screaming abuses at him as a referee, Fischer said it's the best part of the game.

"It will sound strange, but in a a way, that's the part you remember afterwards," hesaid.

"Especially when you know you're right. You know, that's the best part."