ROME (ITALPRESS) – Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied entry to the United States to referee the World Cup, will still receive his full compensation from FIFA for the tournament. Artan was questioned for 11 hours by US immigration authorities at Miami International Airport on Monday before being informed that he would not be allowed to enter the country because his diplomatic passport and single-entry US visa had been rejected. A US government official stated that Artan was denied entry due to an alleged “association with suspected members of terrorist organizations.” The referee himself later stated that he had been questioned by border officials about his denied ties to the Somali militant group Al Shabab. “I had all my documents in order. I had the right visa,” Artan said. “I’m simply a referee trying to fulfill his dream of coming to the World Cup.”
After being deported back to Turkey, Artan received assistance from FIFA officials in Istanbul before boarding a flight to Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. According to BBC Sport, FIFA has now decided to pay the African referee’s salary, although it cannot be determined, as the exact amount is paid at the end of the competition. Artan, named 2025 Referee of the Year by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), has subsequently been invited to referee the UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg, Austria, on August 12.
-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).
