I’m a former World Cup official but my real job is a binman collecting the garbage at 5am every morning
SUPPORTERS in the stands and managers in the dugouts are no stranger to calling a referee’s decision rubbish.
But to Gabriel Victoria, from Monday to Friday, that is technically true.
That is because back home in Panama he is a full-time BINMAN.
And Victoria juggled is day job with being a linesman at the 2018 World Cup.
He was an assistant official as Brazil drew 1-1 with Switzerland during the group stages in Russia.
It was a long, but mainly clean, road for Victoria, on his path to the biggest stage in football
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Victoria, who has cleaned the streets of Panama City for 25 years, was one of 99 officials involved at the World Cup.
He became a Fifa licensed ref in 2008 after discovering a passion for taking charge of games many years earlier when he was the man with the whistle to do a friend a favour and to see what it would be like.
It led to the veteran making his way up the ranks in Panama but there was not enough money in refereeing for him to do the career full-time so continued to be a binman.
The grandfather of two would kick-off his day at 3am and be on the streets at 5am.
He explained: “At 11am I go home to rest a little and in the afternoon I go to full training as referee.
“At first it was difficult, but you get used to it.
“At the national level we have a salary per game, we don’t have a fixed wage.”
Victoria was was selected as a World Cup official after Panama made it to the 2018 finals.
He was joined by compatriot John Pitti in Russia.
Victoria added: “Thank God. It will be our first time in a senior World Cup. With effort and sacrifice I have achieved wonderful things.
“Fight for your dreams. It is difficult — but not impossible.”
Victoria decided to hang up his whistle after the tournament in 2018 as he had achieved his dream and was hoping to launch a career as a refereeing instructor and inspire more to follow in his path.
