FIFA has confirmed that a referee who was denied entry to the United States ahead of the World Cup will still receive his full tournament payment.
Omar Abdulkadir Artan had been due to take charge of fixtures at the 2026 World Cup, which began on 11 June and is being staged across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Artan was one of 52 referees selected by FIFA for the tournament and had been expected to become the first Somali official to take charge of a match at a men’s World Cup.
The Somali official was ultimately stopped from entering the US after arriving in Miami, and later said he had been questioned by border authorities about Al Shabab, the militant group operating in Somalia.
“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.”
After an interview with US border officials that lasted 11 hours, Artan was refused entry and returned to Somalia.
Despite that setback, he has since been appointed to officiate the UEFA Super Cup meeting between Paris St-Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg, Austria.
FIFA has now decided that Artan will still be given the full officiating fee he would have earned for the World Cup, even though he was unable to take part in the tournament in the US. The governing body has not publicly detailed the payment structure, but referees selected for the 2026 World Cup are widely reported to receive a substantial flat tournament fee, with match bonuses on top if they work later rounds.
Speaking after landing back in Somalia, Artan said: “I’d like to thank the officials, ministers, MPs and everyone. I want to thank my country and people for their support. The encouragement I received here, I know I’ll get more support outside [the airport].
“Everything is pre-destined. FIFA supported me well and were in touch with me until I reached Mogadishu.”
He also made clear that he intends to come back stronger, adding: “I promise you that I’ll be officiating you in the next World Cup. Somalia, everywhere, I’m letting you know.”
Artan is widely regarded as one of Somalia’s leading referees. In 2025, he was named African Football (Caf) men’s referee of the year and became the first Somali official to oversee a continental final.
Somalia is one of several countries covered by a travel ban introduced under the Trump administration. In comments given to the BBC, the US government defended the move to block Artan from entering the country.
The statement read: “This individual was seeking admission to the United States. Upon further inspection by CBP [Custom and Border Protection], derogatory information, including association with suspected members of terror organisations, was discovered making the traveller ineligible for admission to the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
“The traveller was refused admission and given immigration forms that provide the section of law used to complete an expedited removal under 8235 of the INA.
“President Trump’s administration will not allow any security threat to enter our country – full stop.”
When he arrived home, Artan was welcomed warmly in Mogadishu, where supporters greeted him with a hero’s reception.