ISTANBUL – Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, barred from entering the United States to officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, will still receive his full tournament fee, according to Anadolu Ajansi reports citing multiple sources.
FIFA has pledged to pay Artan’s salary in full, even though he will not take part in the competition. Referees selected for the World Cup typically only learn the exact fee after the tournament concludes.
Artan, 34, made history as the first Somali referee appointed to a World Cup. But his dream collapsed at Miami International Airport on Monday, where he was interrogated for 11 hours before being denied entry.
His diplomatic passport and single‑entry US visa were rejected. He was placed on a flight to Turkiye, where FIFA officials assisted him in Istanbul before he returned to Mogadishu.
A US government official claimed Artan was denied entry due to alleged “association with suspected members of terror organisations.”
Artan said border officials questioned him about supposed links to Somali militant group Al‑Shabaab, but insisted he had no knowledge of the organisation.
“I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa,” Artan was quoted as saying.
“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.” – June 15, 2026