By  OMAR FARUKWednesday June 10, 2026 A scene of celebration greeted Somalia’s Omar Artan on Wednesday when the World Cup referee, blocked from entering the United States, landed in Mogadishu to applause, cheers and Somali flags. Artan said he still intends to reach the next World Cup and urged young Somalis to stand tall and be proud of their nation. Artan had been poised to become the first referee from Somalia to work at a World Cup after earning a place on FIFA’s final tournament list. Already regarded as one of…

By  OMAR FARUKWednesday June 10, 2026 When Omar Artan stepped off the plane in Mogadishu on Wednesday, he was met not as a disappointed official but as a national symbol — a Somali World Cup referee whose journey to football’s biggest stage had been abruptly halted by the United States. Artan, who had been poised to become the first referee from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup after landing on FIFA’s final tournament list, told the cheering crowd in Somalia’s capital that his dream was far from over. A leading figure in…