New Delhi, June 14 (IANS) FIFA will reportedly pay Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan his full tournament fee for the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite his inability to officiate at the competition after being denied entry into the United States.

According to a report by The BBC, the world governing body has decided that Artan will receive the full remuneration allocated to match officials for the tournament, ensuring he is not financially affected by the circumstances that forced him to miss the event.

Artan, 34, was among the 52 referees selected by FIFA to officiate at the World Cup finals being jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States from June 11 to July 19. He was set to become the first Somali referee to take charge of a match at a FIFA World Cup.

However, his World Cup dream came to an abrupt end after he was denied entry by U.S. immigration authorities at Miami International Airport. Reports said Artan, despite holding a valid entry visa, was refused admission and later returned to Istanbul before travelling back to Somalia.

FIFA earlier confirmed that the Somali official would not be able to participate in the tournament.

“FIFA can confirm that match official Omar Abdulkadir Artan will be unable to train and officiate at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States,” FIFA said in a statement.

“FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present.

“In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country,” the statement added.

According to Cisse Aden Abshir, an adviser to Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports, Artan was stopped by immigration officials upon arrival in Miami and was subsequently unable to enter the country.

An official in Somalia’s national football league, Artan became a FIFA-listed referee in 2018 and has officiated at several major continental competitions, including the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

–IANS

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