FIFA to pay compensation to Somali referee denied US entry for World Cup

FIFA has decided to compensate Somali referee Omar Arte after he was barred from entering the United States despite being officially appointed to officiate matches at the 2026 World Cup. Arte was turned back at Miami airport last week following an 11-hour interrogation, with officials declining to accept his diplomatic passport and single-entry visa. The decision follows a public call for compensation from Keith Hackett, the former head of England's Referees Committee. Hackett said FIFA had left Arte in the lurch and that keeping a young referee away from World Cup matches was unfair. Hackett noted that match officials at the tournament are entitled to a fee of about 74,500 pounds ($100,000) and urged FIFA to pay Arte the same amount to support his family. FIFA subsequently agreed to provide financial compensation to the referee, according to the reports.