FILE: Artan, 34, earned 2025 Referee ⁠of the Year plaudits from the Confederation of African Football. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Omar Abdulkadir Artan, the Somali referee who was barred from entering ​the United States to officiate World Cup ‌matches, will receive full pay ​for the tournament from FIFA, ⁠according to a report from Reuters.

Artan arrived in Miami on a flight from ‌Istanbul on June 6, where he was denied entry into the ‌country by U.S. Customs ‌and ⁠Border Protection.

ALSO READ | Infantino says fans ’should chill’ about Somali referee denied US entry

“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.

In the aftermath of his ⁠denial into the United States, UEFA, ⁠Europe’s governing body for soccer, selected him to officiate the UEFA ‌Super Cup match between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain on Aug. ​12 in Salzburg, Austria.

Published on Jun 15, 2026