Somali football referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was denied entry into the US to officiate at the World Cup, will be paid his full tournament fee.
The Trump administration said the US had denied Artan entry for the World Cup because of his links to “suspected members of terror organisations”.
A source familiar with the matter said even though Artan would take no part in the World Cup, Fifa had committed to paying his salary.
Artan, Africa’s referee of the year in 2025, was set to become the first Somali to officiate at soccer’s global showpiece but was turned back by US Customs and Border Protection.
However, he returned home to a hero’s welcome while European soccer body Uefa appointed him to officiate the Uefa Super Cup match between Paris St Germain and Aston Villa in August.
- All the World Cup fixtures here
- World Cup page here
- All the group profiles here
- Star player profiles here
- Bafana news here
Reuters
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.