Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied entry to the United States to officiate at the World Cup, will still receive his full tournament fee from Fifa, sources have told the BBC. The 34-year-old, the 2025 Confederation of African Football (Caf) men's referee of the year, was interrogated for 11 hours by US immigration authorities at Miami International Airport on Monday before being told he would not be allowed into the country after his diplomatic passport and single entry US visa were rejected.
A US government official said Artan had been barred because of an alleged “association with suspected members of terror organisations.” Artan said he had been questioned over his links to Somali militant group Al Shabab and had told them he knew nothing about the organisation. “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.”
“Fifa will pay Somali referee Omar Artan his full World Cup fee despite his being denied entry to the US.”
After being put back on a plane to Turkey, Artan received assistance from Fifa officials in Istanbul before boarding a flight to the Somali capital Mogadishu. Despite taking no part in the World Cup, Fifa has committed to paying his salary, though referees do not know the actual fee until after the tournament. The Times reported that referees could earn up to £75,000, with officials in later stages also receiving big bonuses.
Artan has since been invited to officiate the Uefa Super Cup between Paris St-Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg, Austria on 12 August. Returning to Somalia, he received a hero's welcome and thanked “my people and my country”. “Everything is pre-destined. Fifa supported me well and were in touch with me until I reached Mogadishu,” he said. “I promise you that I'll be officiating you in the next World Cup.”
A statement from the Trump administration said: “This individual was seeking admission to the United States. Upon further inspection by CBP, derogatory information, including association with suspected members of terror organisations, was discovered making the traveller ineligible for admission... President Trump's administration will not allow any security threat to enter our country - full stop.”