Somali referee Omar Artan will receive his full tournament fee despite not being involved in the officiating of any matches at the FIFA World Cup 2026. Artan’s World Cup assignment was over even before the kickoff of the quadrennial event, as he was denied entry into the United States by immigration officials at Miami International Airport.
Artan, one of Africa’s most highly regarded match officials, was interrogated for 11 hours before being informed that he would not be allowed to enter American soil.
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A US government official said Artan had been refused entry because of an alleged “association with suspected members of terror organizations”.
The referee, however, denied the allegation of his involvement with Al Shabab and denied having any knowledge of the organization.
“I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa,” said Artan, adding, “I’m just a referee who’s trying to live his dream, the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup.”
After he was denied entry into the US, immigration officials placed him on a flight to Turkey. FIFA officials subsequently assisted him in Istanbul before he boarded another flight to Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.
As per a BBC report, FIFA has committed to paying Artan his full fee for the World Cup. However, referees are not informed of their exact tournament fees in advance, with payments typically made after the competition concludes.
Artan has been one of Africa’s most notable referees. He was named the Confederation of African Football (CAF) men’s referee of the year in 2025 and became the first Somali official to oversee a continental final. In June that year, he took charge of the second leg of Pyramids FC’s African Champions League final victory over Mamelodi Sundowns.
His growing reputation also earned him an appointment at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, where he officiated three matches, including the third-place play-off.
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Later in 2025, Artan officiated two group-stage matches at the Africa Cup of Nations, having also worked at the tournament in 2024.
In the wake of the World Cup setback, UEFA came forward to hand him a new assignment to officiate the UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in Austria, on August 12.
Artan, however, did not give up his dream of officiating World Cup matches. He has now set his sights on the FIFA World Cup 2030.
