FIFA President Infantino Calls Somali Referee Denial Unfortunate

FIFA President Gianni Infantino called the case of Somali World Cup referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was denied entry to the United States, "unfortunate." The referee had previously been banned from entering the US but was appointed by UEFA to officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup. On the eve of the 2026 Men's World Cup, Infantino faced questions from the media addressing the barring of officials from the United States. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to be the largest sporting event in history and will heavily integrate artificial intelligence across various facets of the tournament, amid ongoing controversies including ticket prices.