Somali referee to receive full World Cup fee after deportation from the US - media
Kyiv • UNN
Omar Artan was banned from entering the US due to suspected links with militants. FIFA will pay the referee his full World Cup fee despite his absence.
Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied entry to the USA to officiate at the World Cup, will still receive his full tournament fee, UNN reports with reference to the BBC.
Context
On Monday at Miami International Airport, Artan was questioned for 11 hours by U.S. immigration officials, after which he was informed that entry to the country was denied after his diplomatic passport and single-entry U.S. visa were rejected.
A U.S. government representative stated that Artan was not allowed to enter the country due to an alleged "connection with suspected members of terrorist organizations."
Artan said he was questioned by border guards about his ties to the Somali militant group Al-Shabaab, and he replied that he knew nothing about the organization.
"I had all the necessary documents and everything else. I had the correct visa," Artan said.
"I am just a referee trying to fulfill my dream, the biggest dream of my life — to come to the World Cup."
After being put back on a plane to Turkey, Artan received assistance from FIFA representatives in Istanbul before boarding a flight to the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
Details
Sources told BBC Sport that despite Artan not participating in the World Cup, FIFA has committed to paying his salary.
Referees do not know the exact amount of the fee they will receive for officiating at the World Cup, as it is paid after the tournament ends.
Additionally
Artan, recognized as the Referee of the Year by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in 2025, received an invitation to officiate the UEFA Super Cup match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg, Austria, on August 12.
The 34-year-old referee, who thanked his people and his country after a warm welcome back home, vowed to officiate matches at the 2030 World Cup.
2025 was a memorable year for Artan: he became the first Somali to referee a continental championship final.
In June 2025, he officiated the second leg of the CAF Champions League final between Pyramids and Mamelodi Sundowns.
FIFA appointed Artan as a referee for the U-20 World Cup in Chile, where he officiated three matches, including the third-place play-off.
At the end of the year, he officiated two group stage matches of the Africa Cup of Nations, having also worked at the tournament in 2024.