Somali soccer referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was turned away at the U.S. border and prevented from working at the World Cup, will receive his complete tournament pay from FIFA, according to a source familiar with the situation.
The Trump administration stated that Artan was refused entry into the United States due to alleged connections to “suspected members of terror organizations.” U.S. Customs and Border Protection carried out the denial.
Although Artan will not participate in the World Cup in any capacity, FIFA has made a commitment to pay him his full salary for the tournament, the source confirmed.
Artan, who was named Africa’s referee of the year in 2025, had been on track to make history as the first Somali official ever to referee at soccer’s biggest global event. Instead, he was turned back before he could take the field.
Despite the setback, Artan arrived back in his home country to a warm and celebratory reception. European soccer’s governing body UEFA has since tapped him to serve as referee for the UEFA Super Cup match between Paris St Germain and Aston Villa, scheduled for August.
