Somali Referee Omar Artan adds fuel to Egypt’s refereeing fury after Argentina controversy

07.07.26 FT World Cup

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On Tuesday, excluded referee Omar Artan backed Egypt's claims of World Cup bias during their controversial defeat to Argentina in Atlanta.

The fallout from Egypt’s heartbreaking 3-2 Round of 16 exit against Argentina continues to rock the tournament. The Pharaohs who held a commanding 2-0 lead until the 79th minute, saw their quarter-final dream evaporate following a series of highly questionable calls by French referee François Letexier.

The Egyptian Football Association has formally demanded a FIFA investigation into Letexier alleging deliberate match manipulation after he disallowed a valid Egyptian goal and ignored a crucial late penalty shout to protect the defending champions.

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The TikTok solidarity

Banned Somali official Omar Artan has now added fuel to the fire. Taking to his official TikTok account, Artan reshared a video of Egyptian manager Hossam Hassan confront Letexier with a defiant "No to Racism" gesture.

Hassan openly accused the French official of systemic bias claiming every tight decision went against his squad. Having experienced his own share of administrative bitterness, Artan’s public backing amplifies the growing sentiment among global pundits and former players that the match was engineered to favor Lionel Messi's squad.

Artan's own World Cup nightmare

Artan's solidarity stems from deep personal frustration with the tournament's hierarchy. Originally selected by FIFA as an official match referee for this summer's competition, Artan never made it to the pitch.

Upon arriving in the United States, immigration authorities detained the Somali referee at the airport for several hours before officially denying him entry due to strict passport restrictions.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino famously refused to intervene, coldly stating that host nations maintain absolute sovereignty over visa approvals effectively ending Artan's World Cup dream before it even began.

Khaled Hegazy |

Editorar, en

Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.

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