Barred World Cup referee Omar Artan seeks Egyptian Premier League role

Somali referee Omar Artan, barred from the 2026 World Cup by US authorities, has sought a role officiating in the Egyptian Premier League.

• The Egyptian Football Association received a request from its Somali counterpart to add referee Omar Artan to those officiating the league this season.
• Refereeing committee head Issam Abdel-Fattah said he welcomed Artan's request, asked him to complete legal procedures, and the board will decide.
• US authorities turned Artan away from Miami airport and deported him before the World Cup over suspected ties to terrorism-linked people, despite FIFA's intervention.
• UEFA assigned Artan the European Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa, and FIFA paid him roughly $40,000 in compensation.
• Artan denied the U.S. allegations of ties to suspected terrorist organizations that led to his World Cup exclusion.
• Artan has been celebrated in Somalia since his exclusion from the 2026 World Cup.