Somali Referee Denied Entry to U.S. to Receive Full World Cup Salary

FIFA has decided to pay the full salary to Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied entry to the United States while attempting to participate in the 2026 North and Central America World Cup.
ESPN reported on June 15 (KST), citing sources, that "FIFA has decided to pay Artan the full salary he was set to receive for his World Cup match assignments, despite his entry being denied ahead of the tournament."
Artan, who was named the 2025 African Referee of the Year, was set to become the first Somali referee to officiate at a World Cup. However, he was denied entry upon arriving at Miami International Airport on June 7, despite holding a valid visa and a diplomatic passport.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) stated, "The traveler was determined to be inadmissible following an inspection due to issues related to identity verification," and FIFA subsequently removed Artan from the list of referees for the North and Central America World Cup.
After being denied entry, Artan had to return to Somalia via Turkey.
ESPN explained, "He will receive full compensation for the role he was expected to play in this World Cup," adding, "The exact amount is currently being finalized as the specific number of matches he was assigned to officiate had not been confirmed."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.