‘I’ll Be At The Next World Cup’: Barred Somali Referee Vows To Return For 2030

Somali referee Omar Artan has vowed to officiate at the next FIFA World Cup in 2030 after being denied entry into the United States and subsequently removed from the list of match officials for the 2026 tournament.
Artan returned to a hero’s welcome in Mogadishu on Wednesday, where more than 100 supporters gathered at the city’s main airport to receive him. Waving Somali flags and chanting his name, the crowd greeted the acclaimed referee as he arrived on a Turkish Airlines flight.
Despite the setback, Artan struck a defiant tone, insisting that the incident would not derail his ambitions.
“I will be at the next World Cup and will continue to make Somalia proud,” he told journalists...