Somalia president congratulates World Cup-bound referee Omar Artan

Sunday April 12, 2026

Somalia’s president, Hassan Mohamud, has hailed referee Omar Artan after the 34-year-old became the first Somalian selected to officiate at a World Cup finals.

FIFA named Artan among 52 referees chosen for the June-July tournament, which will be staged across Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Mohamud said the appointment had lifted Somalia’s standing on the world stage.

“I commend the effort, professionalism, and integrity shown by referee Omar, as he has become a symbol of inspiration for the new generation of Somalis,” said Mohamud.

For Artan, the milestone is only the latest in a series of firsts from a country that has never reached a major international football tournament.

Since becoming a FIFA referee in 2018, he has taken charge of matches in the Somali national football league championships and steadily built a reputation beyond his home country.

In January 2025, he wrote another page in the record books by becoming the first Somalia-born official to referee a CAF Champions League match, overseeing the clash between Mamelodi Sundowns and Pyramids FC in Cairo.

His resume also includes work at the 2023 African Cup of Nations finals in Algeria, while CAF named him its best men’s referee of the year in 2025.

Even so, Artan did not feature at the AFCON finals in Morocco earlier this year, despite having been selected as a tournament referee.

Somalia’s own football hopes have also received a lift. The team kept alive dreams of reaching the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations after defeating Mauritius 4-2 on penalties in March to qualify for the group stage for the first time.

The finals will be jointly hosted for the first time by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, the three East African nations.