Fifa to Pay Somali Referee Barred from US Despite Missing World Cup Duties
Fifa will pay Somali referee Omar Artan his full World Cup officiating salary despite his inability to oversee any matches at the tournament, BBC Sport has reported.

Reader briefing
Article context
What happened
- Fifa will pay Somali referee Omar Artan his full World Cup officiating salary despite him being barred from overseeing any matches at the tournament. This decision is made in light of the exceptional circumstances surrounding Artan’s inability to participate due to being denied entry to the United States.
Key claims
- Fifa will pay Omar Artan his full World Cup officiating salary despite his absence.
- Artan was denied entry to the US and deported after an 11-hour interrogation.
- This case is treated as unique by Fifa, differing from the usual payment practices.
- Artan was set to be the first Somali referee at a World Cup, marking a significant milestone.
Source limitations
- The article relies on a report from BBC Sport without independent verification.
- No response from Fifa regarding the decision-making process is included.
- Details about the support from the football community are not elaborated.
Reader takeaway
Omar Artan's situation underscores the complexities of international sports officiating amid geopolitical issues.
What remains unclear
- What specific factors led Fifa to consider Artan's case as unique?
- How will the support from the football community impact Artan's career moving forward?
- What are the implications of the travel restrictions on other Somali athletes?
Why it matters
The article highlights the challenges faced by athletes due to immigration policies and the recognition of their contributions despite such barriers.
Original report with a saved translation · English
English · Machine translated · Not human reviewed
Original
Original source text
The original source text is split into readable paragraphs for easier review.
Fifa will pay Somali referee Omar Artan his full World Cup officiating salary despite his inability to oversee any matches at the tournament, BBC Sport has reported.
The world football governing body is understood to have taken the decision in recognition of the exceptional circumstances surrounding Artan’s absence.
The 34-year-old was unable to participate after being denied entry to the United States and deported following an 11-hour interrogation by immigration officials in Miami.
Fifa customarily pays match officials at the conclusion of a World Cup based on their tournament involvement, but Artan’s case is said to have been treated as unique.
Source noteWhy this story appears
This report is shown because it came from Warkasta’s monitored source network and matches the current section, recency, and coverage labels.
Why this story appears
This report is shown because it came from Warkasta’s monitored source network and matches the current section, recency, and coverage labels.
- Source count
- 1
- Sources used
- Horseed Media
- Language mix
- English
- Translation status
- Shown in its original language
- AI synthesis
- No AI synthesis is used for this story panel
Stay informed
Get Warka in your inbox. No noise, just what matters.