World Cup referee denied entry into US days before tournament gets FIFA payment decision
Kit Roberts
Featured Image Credit: Abuukar Mohamed Muhidin/Anadolu via Getty Images
A referee who was barred from entering the US to officiate in the FIFA World Cup has received a decision on his pay packet from FIFA.
Omar Artan had been scheduled to work at matches during the tournament, which is being hosted in the US, as well as Mexico, and Canada.
But Artan, from Somalia, was not allowed to enter the US, later revealing that officials had questioned him about militant organization Al Shabab, which is active in Somalia.
"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."
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But after an 11-hour-long interview with US border control, the referee was refused entry and has now returned to Somalia.
Nonetheless, he has since been booked to officiate at a match between Paris St-Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg, Austria in the UEFA Super Cup.
FIFA has now ruled that even though he was refused entry to the US, Artan will be paid the full tournament fee for the World Cup.
Speaking after arriving back in Somalia, Artan said: "I'd like to thank the officials, ministers, MPs and everyone. I want to thank my country and people for their support. The encouragement I received here, I know I'll get more support outside [the airport].
"Everything is pre-destined. FIFA supported me well and were in touch with me until I reached Mogadishu."
And the referee also gave a defiant statement, promising that he wouldn't let this put him off, saying: "I promise you that I'll be officiating you in the next World Cup. Somalia, everywhere, I'm letting you know."
Artan is an experienced and highly esteemed referee, being awarded the African Football (Caf) men's referee of the year in 2025, as well as being the first Somali referee to officiate at a continental final.
Somalia is among the many countries to have a travel ban enforced by the Trump administration, and the US government has defended the decision to refuse Artan entry in a statement to the BBC.
The statement read: "This individual was seeking admission to the United States. Upon further inspection by CBP [Custom and Border Protection], derogatory information, including association with suspected members of terror organisations, was discovered making the traveller ineligible for admission to the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
"The traveller was refused admission and given immigration forms that provide the section of law used to complete an expedited removal under 8235 of the INA.
"President Trump's administration will not allow any security threat to enter our country - full stop."
Artan was greeted as a hero on his arrival back to Somalia, including a welcome ceremony in Mogadishu.