World football governing body FIFA will pay Somali referee Omar Artan his full 2026 FIFA World Cup remuneration despite his inability to officiate at the tournament after being denied entry into the United States.
Key Highlights:
- FIFA will pay Somali referee Omar Artan his full World Cup remuneration.
- Artan missed the tournament after being denied entry into the United States.
- US authorities cited alleged links to suspected extremists, which he denied.
- FIFA supported him despite his inability to officiate matches.
- Artan vowed to return stronger and target the 2030 World Cup.
Artan, one of Africa’s most highly regarded match officials, was prevented from entering the US earlier this week after immigration authorities rejected his diplomatic passport and single-entry visa upon arrival at Miami International Airport.
The 34-year-old referee was reportedly detained and questioned for approximately 11 hours before being informed that he would not be permitted to enter the country.
According to US officials, the decision was linked to alleged associations with individuals suspected of involvement in terrorist organisations.
Artan has strongly denied any connection to extremist groups, insisting he travelled with all the required documentation and had complied fully with FIFA’s travel requirements.
“I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa,” Artan said following the incident.
“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 denied entry, Artan was placed on a return flight to Turkey, where FIFA officials assisted him before he continued his journey back to Mogadishu, the Somali capital.
Despite the setback, sources close to FIFA confirmed that the world football body has decided to honour Artan’s full World Cup compensation package even though he will not officiate any matches at the tournament.
Referees selected for the World Cup are typically paid after the competition concludes, with final earnings often dependent on the number of matches handled during the event.
The decision has been widely viewed as a gesture of support for Artan, whose exclusion from the tournament has sparked debate within football circles and among supporters across Africa.
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Artan’s omission is particularly significant given his remarkable rise in international football officiating. A FIFA-listed referee since 2018, he was named the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Men’s Referee of the Year in 2025 and has become one of Somalia’s most celebrated sporting figures.
Last year, he made history as the first Somali referee to officiate a major continental final when he took charge of the second leg of the CAF Champions League final between Pyramids FC of Egypt and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns.
He also officiated three matches at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Chile, including the third-place play-off, further cementing his reputation on the global stage.
Artan’s impressive résumé includes appearances at consecutive Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, where he handled group-stage fixtures in both 2024 and 2025.
In a further boost to his career, UEFA has invited him to officiate the UEFA Super Cup clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg, Austria, on August 12.
Receiving a hero’s welcome upon his return to Somalia, Artan thanked his supporters and fellow citizens for standing by him during the ordeal.
While disappointed at missing the biggest tournament of his career, the Somali official remains optimistic about the future and has already set his sights on football’s next global showpiece.
“I will come back stronger,” he said, vowing to earn another appointment and officiate at the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
For many across Africa, Artan’s story has become one of resilience and determination, with his career continuing to inspire aspiring referees despite the painful setback of missing the 2026 World Cup.
