Somali referee Omar Artan will receive his full World Cup tournament fee despite being denied entry to the United States and taking no part in the competition.
Artan was held for 11 hours by US immigration authorities at Miami International Airport on Monday before officials refused him entry into the country.
His diplomatic passport and single entry US visa were both rejected during what became an exhausting and deeply distressing ordeal for the referee.
A US government official stated that Artan had not been permitted to enter the country due to an alleged “association with suspected members of terror organisations.”
Artan said border officials questioned him about his links to Somali militant group Al Shabab, and he told them he knew nothing about the organisation.
“I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa,” said Artan, speaking after 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 placed back on a plane to Turkey, Artan received support from Fifa officials in Istanbul before flying home to the Somali capital Mogadishu.
Sources told BBC Sport that Fifa has committed to paying his full salary even though he will play no role in the tournament itself.
Referees are not told their exact fee in advance, with payment made after the World Cup concludes, meaning Artan will still collect what he would have earned on the pitch.
The 34-year-old, who won the 2025 Confederation of African Football men’s referee of the year award, has since been invited to officiate the Uefa Super Cup between Paris St-Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg, Austria on 12 August.
Artan thanked “my people and my country” after receiving a warm welcome upon returning to his homeland, and has vowed to officiate at the 2030 World Cup.
He had a remarkable 2025, becoming the first Somali referee to take charge of a continental final when he officiated the second leg of Pyramids FC’s African Champions League final victory over Mamelodi Sundowns.
Fifa had also appointed him to the U-20 World Cup in Chile, where he took charge of three matches including the third-place play-off, further cementing his growing reputation on the global stage.
