Somali referee Omar Artan will receive his full World Cup remuneration despite being barred from entering the United States to officiate at the tournament.
Artan, 34, was detained and questioned for 11 hours by US immigration officials upon arriving at Miami International Airport on Monday before being informed that he would not be allowed into the country. His diplomatic passport and single-entry US visa were ultimately rejected.
A US government official said the decision was linked to an alleged “association with suspected members of terror organisations.”
Artan said border officials questioned him about possible links to the Somali militant group Al Shabab, allegations he strongly denied.
“I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa,” said Artan.
“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.”
After being refused entry, Artan was placed on a flight to Turkey. FIFA officials assisted him during a stopover in Istanbul before he returned to Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu.
Sources have told BBC Sport that although Artan will take no part in the World Cup, FIFA has committed to paying him the full fee he would have earned at the tournament. Match officials are not informed of their exact World Cup earnings beforehand, with payments typically made after the competition concludes.
The setback has not derailed Artan’s career trajectory. The award-winning official has since been invited to referee the UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg on August 12.
Following his return home, Artan received a warm welcome and expressed gratitude to those who supported him.
He thanked “my people and my country” and has already set his sights on officiating at the 2030 World Cup.
Artan’s exclusion comes after a landmark year in his career. Named the Confederation of African Football men’s referee of the year in 2025, he became the first Somali official to oversee a continental club final when he took charge of the second leg of CAF Champions League Final 2025 between Pyramids FC and Mamelodi Sundowns.
He also officiated three matches at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Chile, including the third-place play-off, before handling two group-stage fixtures at the Africa Cup of Nations, having also featured at the tournament the previous year.
Despite missing out on the biggest assignment of his career, Artan’s standing within international football remains strong, with FIFA’s decision to honour his full tournament payment providing some consolation after a deeply disappointing end to his World Cup dream.
