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Warkasta is tracking artan across 6 reports from 4 sources. Recent coverage touches referee, diplomacy, and omar, each linked to its original source with side-by-side comparison where outlets differ.
Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied entry to the United States to officiate at the World Cup, will still receive his full tournament fee.
The FIFA World Cup is built on a simple promise: a borderless celebration of human excellence where the only currency that matters is merit. Yet, as the 2026 tournament opens, a dark shadow has been cast over this global ideal. Omar Abdulkadir Artan, the reigning CAF African Referee of the Year and a pride of Somalia, traveled from Nairobi through Istanbul to Miami.

[CAF] Artan has been on the FIFA international list since 2018 and was named CAF Men's Referee of the Year in 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was prevented from officiating at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after being denied entry to the United States, has been appointed to referee the UEFA Super Cup in August, UEFA announced.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Federal Republic of Somalia expresses its deep regret over the decision by the authorities of the United States of America to deny entry to Somali international referee Mr. Omar Abdulkadir Artan. Mr. Artan, the CAF referee of the year 2025 and Somalia’s most accomplished sporting […]

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali international referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan returned to Mogadishu on Wednesday to a warm reception from supporters after being denied entry to the United States, where he had been scheduled to officiate at the FIFA Club World Cup. Artan, one of Somalia’s most prominent football officials and a FIFA-accredited referee, was […]