Referee Omar Artan misses out on record-breaking payday after being denied entry into the United States for World Cup

The referee who was denied entry to the United States is poised to miss out on a record-breaking payday on offer for officials at the World Cup.

Omar Artan was included on FIFA's list of officials and was on course to become the first Somali referee to referee at the World Cup.

Artan, one of the top referees in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) obtained a diplomatic passport through the Somali embassy and it was hoped that his visa difficulties had been resolved.

But after travelling from Nairobi, Kenya to Istanbul, Turkey and then to Miami, he was denied entry to the US and is therefore unable to officiate in the showpiece.

In a statement to SPORTbible, a spokesperson for FIFA said: "FIFA can confirm that match official Omar Abdulkadir Artan will be unable to train and officiate at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States.

"FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present.

"In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country."

READ MORE: World Cup referee speaks out after FIFA confirm entry into US has been blocked

No reason for Artan's refusal has been given but the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said he was "was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns" during a routine inspection.

Sent back on a flight to Istanbul, Artan misses out on his dream of making history by refereeing at a World Cup but he will also lose out on a life-changing amount of money.

According to Martyn Ziegler from The Times, each referee could pocket as much as £75,000 for officiating games in the first ever 48-team World Cup.

Referees, of which 52 were selected by FIFA, receive a basic salary for up to six weeks’ work in the tournament.

But with pay doubled from the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, those who are refereeing the latter stages of the competition will have additional payments on top of it.

Anthony Taylor and Michael Oliver, two representatives from the Premier League, could collect more than £325,000 in total - though their pay packet will be healthier if England do not reach the final.

They are blocked from refereeing their home country and the final is unsurprisingly the match which carries the biggest bonus.

Referee Omar Artan breaks silence on World Cup refusal

Artan's denial has made headlines around the globe and despite the immense disappointment, the official posted a statement where he remained upbeat and positive about the future.

"Despite the circumstances, I am in a positive mood and I am focused on the next challenges in my refereeing career," Artan told Reuters.

"I would like to thank FIFA and CAF for all their support and I promise to keep my refereeing levels up as I concentrate on the future.

“I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best success during the World Cup & I look forward to joining them again in future competitions."

Ciise Aden Abshir, a senior adviser at Somalia's Ministry of Youth and Sports, criticized the move, said the decision to deny Artan entry damaged "football's commitment to fairness, merit, and the spirit of fair play."

Andrew Giuliani, who heads up the White House Task Force on the World Cup, claimed the move "was the right decision by customs and border patrol and I support that decision".