Somali referee denied US entry for World Cup will receive full FIFA fee
Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was expected to officiate at matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup but was denied entry to U.S., is hosted in a reception ceremony by members of the Somali community of Dayniile district, in Mogadishu, Somalia June 12, 2026 REUTERS/Feisal Omar
Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
MIAMI, June 14 : Somali soccer referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was denied entry into the United States to officiate at the World Cup, will be paid his full tournament fee.
The Trump administration said the United States had denied Artan entry for the World Cup because of his links to “suspected members of terror organizations”.
A source familiar with the matter said even though Artan will take no part in the World Cup, FIFA has committed to paying his salary.
Artan, Africa’s referee of the year in 2025, was set to become the first Somali to officiate at soccer’s global showpiece, but was turned back by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
However, he returned home to a hero’s welcome while European soccer body UEFA appointed him to officiate the UEFA Super Cup match between Paris St Germain and Aston Villa in August.
Source: Reuters
Sign up for our newsletters
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
About The Author
