Omar Abdulkadir Artan was supposed to make history this week as the first Somali referee to officiate at a World Cup. Instead, he’s watching from outside the US, denied entry without explanation by the Trump administration. Welcome to the most inclusive World Cup ever.
FIFA, soccer’s governing body, expects to earn $8.9 billion (£6.7 billion) from this tournament—double what the 2024 Olympics made. More teams: 48, up from 32. More matches: 104 over 39 days. More markets, just the way they like it. This is good business.
But one thing is also clear: not everyone is invited to the party. In the days leading up to Thursday’s opening ceremony, the news has been about exclusion, disunity, and segregation.
It’s probably best to start with Artan, a Somali referee named Africa’s best male referee last year and FIFA-accredited since 2018. Artan remained gracious despite the situation. “I am very, very disappointed,” he told the New York Times. “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.” He deserved it. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the president of Somalia, called him “a symbol of inspiration for the new generation of Somalis.” That, apparently, isn’t enough for the Trump administration.
Andrew Giuliani, who leads the White House task force on the World Cup, said: “While I can’t go into the derog [derogatory information] on that, I can tell you it was the right decision by customs and border patrol, and I support that decision.” After 24 hours of uproar, someone briefed CNN with the unverified claim that the referee may have alleged links to “suspected members of terror organizations.”
FIFA forced South Africa, Germany, and other recent World Cup hosts to promise that visas and minimal immigration interference would be guaranteed for all accredited officials, players, and staff during the tournament. Why is the US exempt from that? The organization’s response has been weak. “FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications,” it said, “and has been informed by authorities that Mr. Artan’s status will not be changed at present. A host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.”
And so, with FIFA’s complicity, those who would enjoy the so-called global game are completely subject to Trump’s whims. The Iranian football federation said on Tuesday that the country’s allocation of fan tickets had been revoked, on top of the national team’s training base being moved from Arizona to Mexico City last month and visa denials for several backroom staff. Last week, the International Sports Press Association criticized the “longstanding and unacceptable problem for us journalists: the denial of entry visas to regularly accredited colleagues” in a letter addressed to FIFA’s media office from the association’s president, Gianni Merlo.
“There are many cases,” the letter continued. “Iranian colleagues, African colleagues, some of whom have been given single entries, so if their team goes to play in Canada or Mexico and they follow it, they can no longer return to the States. The cases are countless and, I repeat, unacceptable. Politicians always say that sport unites and builds bridges between young people in countries in conflict, but in this case, we are going in the opposite direction.”
This is a serious mistake, setting back progress. A record 10 African countries are represented at this World Cup, a long way from the Eurocentric tournaments between 1938 and 1966 that didn’t welcome a single African nation. FIFA can point to steps taken to restore balance: South Africa hosting the competition in 2010, and Moroccan Said Belqola and South African Achmat Salie becoming the first Africans to officiate a World Cup final in 1998. The organization will also note that it is a net funder of theAfrican nations have invested over $1.2 billion in infrastructure, stadiums, and youth development academies since 2016. But expanding the tournament is also a huge business move, aimed at unlocking billions in new revenue while securing the political support of Africa’s 54 voting nations, who make up 25% of FIFA’s membership. Right now, based on what’s happening in North America, they seem to be an afterthought.
So what does FIFA do about a World Cup where Donald Trump’s influence—someone its leaders openly tried to win over—starts shaping the very structure of their flagship event? What does FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino, say or do in moments like this, even as he’s busy handing out flashy gifts to Trump or fighting legal threats from his predecessor?
He does what he’s doing now: he basically shrugs, counts the money, measures the growth in prestige, and pretends everything is fine while the house is on fire. He pushes for African expansion while willingly sacrificing certain nations for the sake of a US World Cup. The FIFA he leads chooses complicity over courage.
The governing body should find its voice, and it would be wise to listen to Somali officials after the unjust exclusion of Artan from this top stage. “Preventing [Artan] undermines football’s commitment to fairness, merit, and the spirit of fair play,” they said.
And they’re right: FIFA should honor that commitment. But right now, honor is in short supply.
Morgan Ofori is a reporter, blogger, and subeditor for the Guardian’s The Long Wave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs generated based on the topic provided
1 What is the most inclusive World Cup ever referring to
It refers to the 2026 FIFA World Cup which will be hosted by the USA Canada and Mexico FIFA has marketed it as the most inclusive tournament in history due to its expanded 48team format and promises of accessibility for all fans
2 Who is Omar Artan
Omar Artan is a professional football referee from Somalia He is a FIFAlisted official and was expected to be part of the officiating team for major international matches
3 Why was Omar Artan banned from entering the US
He was banned from entering the United States under the Trump administrations travel restrictions which targeted several predominantly Muslim countries including Somalia He was denied a visa to attend a preWorld Cup refereeing seminar in the US
4 How does Omar Artans ban contradict the idea of an inclusive World Cup
It highlights a major contradiction FIFA promotes the World Cup as welcoming to all nationalities and backgrounds yet one of the host countries barred a referee from a Muslimmajority nation from even entering the country to prepare for the event
5 Is Omar Artan the only person affected by this
No He is one of many individuals from countries on the US travel ban list who have been denied visas or entry including athletes coaches and officials His case is just a highprofile example in the sports world
6 Did FIFA or the US Soccer Federation comment on this
At the time of the ban there was limited public comment Critics argue that FIFA should have publicly challenged the US governments policy to protect its claim of inclusivity but the organization remained largely silent on the specific case
7 Can Omar Artan referee in the 2026 World Cup now
As of now it is uncertain The travel ban policies may change depending on the US administration If the ban remains in place for Somali nationals he would likely be unable to officiate in the US even if FIFA selects him
8 What does this story say about sports washing or political influence in football
It suggests that while megaevents like the World Cup are used to project an image of global unity realworld political policies can directly
