Somali soccer referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was denied entry into the United States to officiate at the World Cup, will be paid his full tournament fee.
The Trump administration said the United States had denied Artan entry for the World Cup because of his ​links to “suspected members of terror organizations”.
A source familiar with the matter said even though Artan will take no part in the World Cup, FIFA has committed to paying his salary.
Artan, Africa’s referee of the year in 2025, was set to become the first Somali to officiate at soccer’s global showpiece, but was turned back by US. Customs and Border Protection.
However, he returned home to a hero’s welcome while European soccer body UEFA appointed him to officiate the UEFA Super Cup match between ​Paris St Germain and Aston Villa in August.
Artan arrived in Miami on a flight from Istanbul on June 6, where he was denied entry into the country by US Customs and Border Protection.
“During processing, the traveler underwent additional inspection, a routine part of CBP’s inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility,” CBP said in its statement. “Following inspection, the traveler, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry.”
Artan, 34, earned 2025 Referee of the Year plaudits from the Confederation of African Football. He had previously officiated in two African Cup of Nations. A year ago, he took charge of his first major continental final, Leg 2 of the 2025 CAF Champions League final between Egypt’s Pyramids FC and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns in Cairo on June 1.
