Fifa to pay Somali referee Artan full World Cup fee despite US ban

Somali referee Omar Artan will receive his full World Cup fee from Fifa after he was denied entry to the United States and unable to officiate at the tournament. The football governing body confirmed it would honour the payment in its entirety, a decision widely welcomed across the refereeing community.

What happened to Artan

Artan had been selected as part of Fifa’s officiating team for the 2025 Club World Cup in the United States, a significant achievement for any referee and a historic moment for Somali football. But when he attempted to travel, American authorities refused him entry. No detailed explanation was made public. He never got to set foot on the pitch.

It’s a situation that left officials scrambling. Artan had completed all the required Fifa training and preparation ahead of the tournament. He was ready. The denial wasn’t about his qualifications.

Fifa’s response

Fifa moved quickly to confirm that Artan wouldn’t be financially penalised for circumstances entirely beyond his control. A spokesperson for the organisation said the body was committed to treating all its match officials fairly and with dignity, regardless of the difficulties encountered during the tournament.

The fee itself, while not publicly disclosed by Fifa, is understood to be in the region of tens of thousands of dollars for referees participating at major tournaments. For a referee from Somalia, where football infrastructure remains under-resourced, it’s a meaningful sum.

Still, money doesn’t fix everything here.

A bigger issue for football

Artan’s case has drawn attention to a problem that doesn’t get talked about enough in global football circles. Referees, players and officials from certain countries routinely face visa complications when tournaments are held in the United States or other nations with restrictive entry policies. And it’s not a new issue.

African and Middle Eastern officials have previously encountered delays and outright refusals when attempting to travel to matches or tournaments hosted in Western nations. So while Fifa’s decision to pay Artan in full is the right call, critics are pointing out that the governing body needs to do more to pressure host nations to guarantee entry for all accredited participants well before any tournament kicks off.

Artan, who has refereed across Africa and earned international recognition over more than a decade, hasn’t publicly spoken at length about the experience. But sources close to the Somali football federation described him as deeply disappointed, though grateful for Fifa’s financial support.

What comes next

Whether Fifa will push for stronger visa guarantees from future host nations — including the United States, which is co-hosting the 2026 men’s World Cup — remains to be seen. The 2026 tournament will involve thousands of officials, players and staff from across the globe, including from countries that sometimes face friction at the US border.

Artan’s situation won’t be the last of its kind unless concrete steps are taken. Fifa paying him is fair. Making sure it doesn’t happen again would be better.