FIFA To Pay Somali Referee Denied US Entry Full World Cup Fee

FIFA To Pay Somali Referee Denied US Entry Full World Cup Fee
FIFA will pay the referee his full tournament fee.
Artan remains determined to officiate at the 2030 World Cup.

Somali referee Omar Artan will receive his full FIFA tournament fee despite being denied entry into the United States ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The decision follows a controversial incident in which the 34-year-old official was refused entry by US immigration authorities upon arriving at Miami International Airport earlier this week, ending his hopes of officiating at football’s biggest tournament.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Artan was questioned for approximately 11 hours before being informed that he would not be allowed into the country. Despite travelling with a diplomatic passport and a valid single-entry US visa, immigration officials rejected his documents and ordered his removal.

A US government official reportedly cited an alleged “association with suspected members of terror organisations” as the basis for the decision.

Artan, however, strongly denied the allegations, saying border officials questioned him about possible links to the Somali militant group Al Shabab.

“I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa,” Artan said.

“I’m just simply a referee who’s trying to live his dream, the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup.”

Following the decision, Artan was placed on a flight to Turkey. FIFA officials later assisted him in Istanbul before he eventually returned to Mogadishu.

Although he will not participate in the World Cup, sources told BBC Sport that FIFA has agreed to pay him his full tournament remuneration. Referees are typically informed of their final earnings only after the competition concludes.

The setback comes despite Artan’s impressive rise in international football officiating.

In 2025, he was named the Confederation of African Football’s Men’s Referee of the Year and became the first Somali official to oversee a continental final when he handled the second leg of Pyramids FC’s CAF Champions League final victory over Mamelodi Sundowns.

Artan also officiated three matches at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Chile and later took charge of games at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Despite missing out on the 2026 World Cup, the Somali referee remains focused on his future. He has already been appointed to officiate the UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg on August 12.