3 min readJun 14, 2026 04:25 PM IST Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, whose hopes of making history at the 2026 FIFA World Cup were dashed after being refused entry into the United States, will still receive the full financial package earmarked for tournament officials despite taking no part in the competition. A BBC report said that FIFA has decided to honour the payment due to Artan even though the 34-year-old will not officiate any matches after US immigration authorities prevented him from entering the country. Match officials are informed of their final remuneration only after the competition has concluded. Artan had travelled to Miami to report for FIFA’s pre-World Cup referees’ camp before the tournament. Instead, he spent about 11 hours undergoing questioning by border officials before being informed that he would not be admitted. He was carrying a diplomatic passport as well as a valid single-entry US visa issued for the World Cup. A US government official later said the decision was based on alleged links to individuals suspected of belonging to terrorist …