By OkayGoal 
Somali referee Omar Artan will receive his full World Cup tournament fee despite being denied entry into the United States following an intense immigration encounter at Miami International Airport, the BBC has reported.
Artan was stopped on Monday and subjected to an 11-hour interrogation by US border officials before being informed he would not be allowed into the country.
Authorities rejected both his diplomatic passport and single-entry US visa, effectively ending his involvement in the tournament before it began.
A US government official later indicated that the decision was linked to an alleged “association with suspected members of terror organisations”, a claim that has placed the official reason for his exclusion under scrutiny.
During questioning, Artan said he was confronted over alleged links to Somali militant group Al Shabab, a connection he firmly denied. He maintained that he had no involvement with the organisation and insisted he was in the country solely to fulfil his World Cup duties.
“I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa,” said Artan.
“I’m just simply a referee who’s trying to live his dream, the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup.”
The referee’s statements underline the personal toll of the episode, which ended with him being placed on a return flight out of the United States.
After being removed from the US, Artan was flown to Turkey, where FIFA officials reportedly stepped in to assist him during transit. He later continued his journey back to Mogadishu, the Somali capital, marking a sudden and disappointing end to his World Cup assignment.
Sources familiar with the situation have confirmed that although Artan will not participate in the tournament, FIFA has committed to paying him the full fee allocated to referees at the competition.
Referees at the World Cup are typically not informed of their exact earnings until after the tournament concludes, with payments issued once all officiating duties are completed. In Artan’s case, however, his compensation will still be honoured despite his enforced absence.
The decision ensures financial recognition for his selection to the tournament list, even as his on-field opportunity was denied by immigration proceedings that have raised wider questions about entry protocols and international sporting logistics.