Somali referee, Omar Artan, who was recently denied entry into the United States ahead of the FIFA World Cup, will still be paid his full tournament earnings despite missing the competition, according to BBC Sport.
Artan was stopped by US immigration officials at Miami International Airport on Monday and reportedly questioned for 11 hours before authorities informed him he would not be permitted to enter the country. His diplomatic passport and single-entry US visa were ultimately rejected.
A US government official reportedly linked the decision to an alleged “association with suspected members of terror organisations.”
Speaking about the incident, Artan explained that immigration officers questioned him over alleged ties to the Somali extremist group Al Shabab, allegations he firmly denied.
“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.”
Following the decision, Artan was placed on a return flight to Turkey, where FIFA officials assisted him in Istanbul before he eventually travelled back to Mogadishu, the Somali capital.
Despite his absence from the tournament, sources told BBC Sport that FIFA has agreed to pay the 34-year-old referee his full World Cup salary.
Officials selected for the World Cup are usually informed of their final earnings only after the competition concludes.
Artan, who was named the Confederation of African Football’s men’s referee of the year in 2025, has since received an appointment to officiate the UEFA Super Cup clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg, Austria, on August 12.
After arriving home to a warm reception, Artan expressed gratitude to “my people and my country” and insisted he remains determined to officiate at the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
The Somali official enjoyed a remarkable 2025 campaign, becoming the first referee from his country to oversee a major continental final.
In June 2025, he handled the second leg of Pyramids FC’s CAF Champions League final triumph over Mamelodi Sundowns.
FIFA also appointed him to the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, where he officiated three matches, including the third-place playoff encounter.
Later in the year, Artan took charge of two group-stage matches at the Africa Cup of Nations after previously officiating at the 2024 edition of the tournament.
