Somali referee Omar Artan barred from World Cup after US denies entry

jakeofnotrades.bsky.social127

A bigger part of this story is that neither FIFA nor any of his fellow referees are standing up for him. Cowards. The whole lot.

meeele.bsky.social45

Why ANYONE would come to America for the World Cup is beyond me. There should have been worldwide protests! Fuck the 🍊 💩, his family, the unqualified administration, the GOP and the billionaire sycophants.

Kees van der Leun43

This of course should be reason for the teams not to play until the referee has been admitted again.

Michael32

Not just disgust at this man's treatment, but sickened at the proof of corruption at highest level of FIFA. Not only bought but dropped into a brown paper bag.

Judith Paterson23

This is what happens when a banana republic is allowed to co host the Football World Cup. Shame on all who are allowing this to happen. The convicted felon currently occupying the White House should have a travel ban placed on him.

Hirut18

Shameful and disgusting behavior by our government just simply to appease Israel’s hate for Muslims.

Eric H.14

Don't go. Don't watch. #BoycotWorldcup26

Arabella14

Because Trump hates Ilhan Omar.💔

gozion13

like berlin 1936 olympics in too many ways.

𝕃𝕒𝕦𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕄13

The World Cup is a huge money making , corrupt enterprise- just have nothing to do with it. Ignore it , ignore the crap in billionaire owned news media - just do something else.

Brass Castle12

FIFA is a sham. Any decent organization would retaliate by disallowing the host country's side to play. They kissed Trump's ass with their stupid peace prize only to relearn the ages-old lesson: you cannot appease a tyrant.

Olivier Panhuys10

What do you expect from USA? I recommend you inspection of Senegal squad at arrival in USA bsky.app/profile/paul...

nycjae204.bsky.social10

The World Cup should not have been held in the United States under this administration. It should have been relocated

Pete Armstrong10

Hey #FIFA you have broken your rules and allowed a host to exclude a top African ref. The game belongs to the world not some warped country nor FIFA. Infantino must go.

jordy9

And we all know why. And spineless and corrupt #FIFA and #Infantino are fine with it. #Artan #WorldCup #football #soccer

Suziey339

Let him referee in Canada or Mexico. He shouldn't be denied this opportunity

The Air Is Heavy™️8

How long before the US athletes get denied entry into other countries because of this bullshit?

Doc Sarvis8

FIFA, a bully you cannot count on except to bend over for any rich idiot/autocrat

alisoncitrine.bsky.social7

Every other referee should refuse to participate in solidarity

Scott McWhirter6

All officials should go on strike there and all teams forfeit the first round. FIFA and the US need to be taught lessons. #FIFA

Bad_Cyclist6

AmeriKKKA never changes & votes accordingly.

Morten Boysen6

So sad. Another reason not to watch the world cup. In any case, all the other referees should go together and refuse to partake until Omar has been allowed entrance and to participate. FIFA peace price my ass.

Leena St. Michael5

Rigging the refs? The same way that Trump & Co. gut the DOJ and rule of law, they are apparently gutting the referee team. He’s Black, he’s Somali (a Trump nemesis country), he’s a visible target and Trump is in cahoots w FIFA.

Andy AVAV Systems5

It’s a joke. FIFA need to stop sucking Donnie’s Dick & stand up for the rules of fairness & justice. Shameful

Jo Marie4

Why did the World Cup Officials allow the games to be played in the US? EVERYONE knew Trump would create chaos and hatred.

Jorge Quintana4

The USA should not be allowed to host international sporting events.

Flip Switch 🍉🟥4

Al teams should leave the USA and boycott #FIFAWC26 by not playing in the USA

gulfrdfarm.bsky.social4

FIFA + Trump is the definition of racism and corruption. The games are rigged. I feel for the athletes but they should all boycott. Fans, umps & athletes.

diablorouge.bsky.social4

Time for Africa to to stop this US shitshow. CAF should instruct all African teams to withdraw from the World Cup, if our ref is not allowed to officiate. This, however, will not happen as the federations that comprise FIFA are all as corrupt as Infantino and the US Orange Fart.

Sean Solo4

Letting a shithole dictatorship host the World Cup was a mistake.

Lorna MacGillivray4

Fruck FIFA and the USA. Boycott the frucking lot.

It isn't just me.4

FIFA should drop the USA for racism.

Olwen3

I think anyone with a conscience ought to boycott the World Cup after this. That’s what I shall be doing.

Olwen3

Absolutely shameful treatment of this man. Sheer racism by the US and FIFA. Indefensible

Daphné (she/her) 😷3

The US administration's main policy is racism, pure and simple.

minion of midas3

Wtaf? FIFA caved on that!?

Stephanie King3

Clearly, FIFA is corrupt as hell. As soon as 47 came back into power, they should have put the brakes on having the World Cup in the US. It's fucking ridiculous.

Libero3

The U.S is becoming a truly ugly country. So glad Europe is starting to distance themselves from them.

Jackie Gardina3

Uneducated question: I don't want him to lose the chance to referee the World Cub because the US govenment is zenophobic (among other things). Why can't he referee games in Canada or Mexico?

Nicola3

I’m amazed that any of the players want to go to Trumpland/ USA.

‼️Wajid‼️2

USA is not getting the same scrutiny as Qatar or Russia did?

spursj69.bsky.social2

World 🌎 time to be Albanian 💪🏼 bsky.app/profile/paul...

Joe St Clair-Ford2

Anyone who attends this thing is okay with racism.

warhawk25.bsky.social2

WTF? I suppose Trump thinks he can do a better job?

xzogdrothx2

He should have bribed a FIFA official if he wanted to referee, it's not hard

WildlifeGardener40

All of the other officials need to get a spine & quit. Try having a World Cup without them. So ashamed of the United States.

Damian Lynch 🟧 🇦🇺 Rebellion is Mandatory during times of Tyranny31

I hope it’s a financial disaster for FIFA

P.E. Griffiths🍁17

Rabid racism loud and proud and openly on display for the entire world to see. Not unexpected by anyone paying attention to the corrupt fasciast regime.

Doremus J16

I’m not watching a single match. Not one.

geojl.bsky.social13

Imagine how this poor man must feel. Treated like it is the apartheid or segregation years, I can’t bear it. #WorldCupReferees please refuse to officiate the matches. This cannot just be shrugged off. It is appalling. Boycott the World Cup.

cyanine9

did these dumbfucks ever think about it being called "THE WORLD" Cup?. jfc this is beyond embarassing!

skipf26.bsky.social9

They’re not even trying to hide the racism.

Huh…8

We have become an evil nation. I am so ashamed.

L F Glatz7

And it is never just racism, right? What a disgrace.

Jolly Confused7

This is outrageous. What is FIFA, and Infantino in particular, going to do about this?

Doug7

Par for the course in America. In future tRump and the tRump crime family should be denied entry into any friking country.

Mother Nature Strikes Back!7

This makes me physically ill. In your face racism from my own country!

kevezc.bsky.social6

This country is so fucked up. God, so embarrassed….

theoctoberist.bsky.social5

People from Omar’s country were referred to as “garbage” by the man in the Oval Office. So this one sadly fits the message. I find it more repulsive that there will be no reaction from the organisation that governs the sport & who constantly say politics should be kept out of sport.

sun-dayz.bsky.social4

The other day it was the Swiss forward Breel Embolo; then the Iraqi striker Aymen Hussein detained for 7 hours for questioning; Iran's technical bench & officials visa denial; Ivory Coast and Tunisia journalists are having multiple entry visa issues. Just throw this circus away at this point

Steven Green4

Speaking as an ex-"soccer" referee, no FIFA referee should officiate until he is reinstated

Tony O'Donnell3

Outrageous and disgraceful! We live in a country whose OFFICIAL policy is now blatant racism and xenophobia. I hope the U.S.A. team gets destroyed in the World Cup.

ricardowensley.bsky.social3

The US proves again they elected racist shit to govern them. I hope they are ashamed but know they don’t care

Not a friend of Tim Houston 🇨🇦3

Only the best referee unless he’s black.

Gary Knowles2

They are just brainless idiots.

Spookman2

The U.S. should not host international sports events. … and FIFA remains silent.

Fair Robina2

We hate to say we told you s.... No, no we don't. We told you and you had to touch the stove anyway.

Banjo K2

US is the "shithole country"". We have a lot of work to do once we get rid of Trump.

Visible Cricket 🇨🇦🇮🇪🎒🛶2

So he gets invited to Vancouver. Upgrade for Mr. Artan! bsky.app/profile/twse...

Cris 🇨🇦64

The worst part is they let you get on a freaking plane and travel for hours and hours vs having the decency to let you know before you board? Such bullshit.

Andy61

Meanwhile FIFA continues to bow to Trump 😒

danielmeade47

To be American now Is to be embarrassed

Insert_new_name_here38

If FIFA weren't so corrupt they would've pulled the plug months ago and either moved the World Cup to Europe or worked with Canada and Mexico to add a few more venues in each country and cut us out entirely. Not ideal, but definitely would've been possible (see: Women's World Cup 2007).

🔵Vincefil28

White South African referees are being aggressively recruited to replace him.

Stephens14

Effing outrageous. I hope he can switch with a referee in a different country so he can make history.

maryaskew.bsky.social13

Is it absolutely necessary for the Trump administrstion to embarrass normal Americans at every opportunity?

RascalAlice 🇺🇦12

Shame on FIFA but my understanding is that it's as crooked as our administration.

themedici.bsky.social10

"The Somali referee Omar Artan, who was set to be the first official from his country to officiate at the World Cup, was turned back in Miami after flying in from Turkey, according to Somalian government officials." Obviously someone at CBP thought he was a "Somali refugee" and acted accordingly.

Observation Group X7

What if fans, officials, or players are harmed by this white‑supremacy insurrection? It is insane to run a FIFA event in a country in low‑intensity civil war — FIFA will share liability if anything goes wrong, and it already has. Stop the event until safety and legal obligations are secured.

GUWonder7

If FIFA execs had any self-respect — the self-dealers don’t — they would make a big stink about this and perhaps even move more of the matches to Canada or Mexico so he could referee as intended originally.

Walter Wrona6

God, this is so embarrasing. Worst part is, as others have said, they could have easily let him know BEFORE he got on the plane and flew 20 something hours to get here.

Jim White6

The world is coming to understand that the US can’t be trusted to act like serious, relatively responsible country. It will take years of effort, which may well not succeed, to try to return this country to respectability.

Lake. Big Lake.4

Of course FIFA are doing nothing. Disgusting.

alice at last3

#boycottUSA #boycottFIFA #boycottWorldCup USians have no idea how devastating the last 18 months have been for their image.

Call Me Garbage Again3

This will all become sports manipulation for betting

くまのプーさん • 🦋 •📎•🗽2

This is what happens when a fascist organization hosts a tournament in a country to curry favor with a fascist President with entry being monitored by fascists...

Rose2

As a co-hosting country, this embarrasses me. I hope Canada speaks up about this. And FIFA? Where are you on this? Not acceptable to stay silent.

Angele9

Absolutely disgraceful & disgusting. The United States regime has BLATANTLY shown that they are full on white supremacists. I weep for my ancestors who fought for the rights of all people of color. #BOYCOTTFIFA

mnliberalmom.bsky.social7

Shameful and disgusting. I'm ashamed of this country 😔

Morg7

What should be a feel-good story turned into a miserable injustice. Thanks, Antichrist Trump, you rotten son of a whore. 😒

Jayme Ruimveld6

I’m so embarrassed for what we have become. What a filthy stain this administration is on our once revered nation.

René Vogels5

And what are they going to do with the participants of the 2028 Olympics? Refuse all African participants?

rfb71.bsky.social4

I think this sums it up perfectly

Guido Guinizelli2

Well, one can always rest assured FIFA will do "the right thing" and use in Canada or Mexico. FIFA has consistently exhibited the highest ethical and professional standards...

Robyn6

It’s pathetic how they’re literally using the FIFA games to justify harassing all these people. It’s so sick

Kah-Turak-Arfai4

All other refs should go on strike and refuse to start any of the games.

Jeff, formerly of MN and MA, still God of Cookies3

That was the first thing that hit me, and the immediate connection to Ilhan Omar, the occupation of the Twin Cities, and efforts to create accelerated mass-deportation processing for Somalis. Stephen Miller's evil is beyond my capacity to describe.

Alan Rudy2

It'd be a shame if a good number of referees refused their assignments - or even minimally worked to rule - in protest.

Batchee2

Lol its funny to think the VP got wind of this and stopped his work to personally handle this matter 😂

stevedoug22

Time for the world of football to walk away with their heads held high. Neither FIFA nor the US are fit to stage a World Cup.

greenegg9

There are going to be a lot more stories like this before it's over, or most likely, before it's even started.

brianj88.bsky.social12

America is a disgrace. #boycotttheworldcup

Martin B5

Also, from the Guardian report…

1977_Terri5

This is just the beginning. Wait until the stories about how fans get treated start. Worst place to be holding it imo

snowyd70.bsky.social2

In a just world, FIFA would impose a points deduction on the US team for this flagrant bollocks.

Sharski3

And so the dRump FIFA racism is showing its ugly head! Why anyone would want to come to the US for ANY reason is beyond me! Freedom at home OR detained and tortured in the US. 🤔

Tilman2

What #FIFA is not fighting for it’s own start What a shame and disgrace! #FIFA is a corrupt scam