Zurich — The International Football Federation (FIFA) announced it will pay Somali referee Omar Artan full compensation despite his exclusion from officiating World Cup matches. Artan was denied entry into the United States last Monday, despite being accredited by FIFA, after undergoing an 11-hour interrogation by U.S. immigration authorities at Miami International Airport. His diplomatic passport and single-entry visa were rejected, and he was informed he could not enter the country.
 The BBC confirmed that although Artan will not officiate at the World Cup, FIFA pledged to pay him as if he had participated.
Referees do not know the exact value of their compensation until after the tournament.
The decision follows calls from Keith Hackett, former head of England’s referees’ committee (PGMOL), who expressed deep regret over Artan
’s exclusion and urged FIFA to compensate him financially. Hackett told Football Insider: “FIFA let down a referee who had the chance to prove himself on the biggest stage. It seems completely unfair to deprive a young referee of the opportunity to officiate at the World Cup, especially given how difficult the path to the top is.”
 Hackett added: “Referees were expected to earn around £74,500 ($100,000).
 I hope FIFA, which failed to support him, will pay the compensation to him and his family.” Artan, who received his international badge in 2018, was among 52 referees selected to officiate at the World Cup.
At 34, he was set to make history as the first Somali referee at the tournament before his dream collapsed. However, UEFA later appointed him to officiate the UEFA Super Cup between Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and Europa League champions Aston Villa, scheduled for August 12 in Salzburg, Austria. In June 2025, Artan became the first Somali referee to officiate a continental final, overseeing the second leg of the CAF Champions League final, where Egypt’s Pyramids defeated Mamelodi Sundowns to claim the title.