Omar Artan affair: Blatter lashes out at FIFA and Infantino

World Cup 2026 Today at 05:41

Mohamed Rek

News Editor

Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan (34 years old) could never have expected to find himself at the center of global sports headlines. His denial of entry into the United States has triggered intense controversy just days before the kick-off of the 2026 World Cup.

Despite having all his travel documents in order and being selected by FIFA among the African officials chosen to referee at the tournament, American authorities refused him entry into the country.

Blatter slams FIFA after the Omar Artan affair

This case has sparked numerous reactions across the football world, prompting former FIFA president Joseph Blatter to openly criticize both the United States and the current leadership of the global governing body.

In an interview with the French sports daily L’Équipe, the Swiss official didn't mince words: "It's incredible and senseless. When you award the organization of a World Cup to a country, there are two sacred and fundamental principles. The first is security, which the host country must guarantee for the event."

He continued: "The second is granting entry visas to all FIFA officials. And there is nothing more official than a referee. If a country refuses entry to a referee, that is a serious problem, and the World Cup should not be held in such a country."

At 90 years old, Blatter then denounced the stance of both FIFA and American authorities: "The fault lies first and foremost with FIFA: it abandoned this principle, which the country (the United States) did not respect. We can't stop the tournament now, but it's absurd."

The former head of world football also took aim at his successor, Gianni Infantino: "The current president (Infantino) should show that he is stronger than his good friend in the White House, right (Donald Trump)? When politics starts to take over, that's bad news. And the other federations should protest as well..."

As a reminder, the 23rd edition of the World Cup kicks off this Thursday at the legendary Azteca Stadium with the opening match between Mexico and South Africa.

Turned away from the United States, Omar Artan reveals the reason for his exclusion from the 2026 World Cup

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