More shocking details have emerged about what happened to top FIFA referee Omar Artan before he was denied entry into the United States ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

The football world was left outraged this week after learning that the Somali official would not be able to work at the tournament this summer, despite having a visa. Artan arrived at Miami International Airport on a flight from Istanbul but was not allowed to come into the country due to ‘vetting concerns’.

An unnamed United States official later stated that he was refused admission due to “association with suspected members of terror organisations.” The FIFA referee has now claimed that he simply shares the same name as a leader of a terrorist group, as he offered more eye-opening details about how he was treated in the US.

Referee Artan Details Being Held For 11 Hours in Miami Airport

Upon arriving in Miami, Artan faced an immediate issue. Despite having a valid visa, he was interrogated for 11 hours, then thrown into a cell and then officially denied entry as he was sent on a flight out of the country. He explained:

As quoted by Gazzetta, Artan explained how security took issue because he shares the same name as a leader of the Al Shabab military group, which occupies part of Somali territory. He said:

Artan Was Set To Make History at 2026 World Cup

Artan became a FIFA-listed referee in 2018, was named CAF’s African Referee of the Year for 2025, and was set to make history as the first Somali official appointed to a World Cup. His absence now means just six African referees will work at the tournament this summer.

He finally landed in Somali capital Mogadishu this morning (10 June), where he was greeted by a crowd of reporters and supporters. Despite seeing his dreams dashed, Artan has spoken positively about his hopes for the future, noting:

“Despite the circumstances, I am in a positive mood and I am focused on the next challenges in my refereeing career.

“I would like to thank FIFA and CAF for all their support and I promise to keep my refereeing levels up as I concentrate on the future.

“I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best success during the World Cup and I look forward to joining them again in future competitions.”

Newcastle United are now eyeing a double signing after reaching a ‘full agreement’ with their next summer arrival. The Magpies have work to do this summer after a disappointing campaign that saw them finish firmly in the bottom half.

Eddie Howe knows that, even after so much positive work, he is not going to be granted another disappointing campaign to that extent next season, but new signings are needed for the Magpies to turn things around, and especially after Anthony Gordon was sold to Barcelona off the bat.

As ever, though, Newcastle have to be smart with their spending to keep in line with Financial Fair Play, and that means signing some ready-made players, yes, but also players with big potential yet to be reached.

Newcastle strike deal with goalkeeper

Newcastle have completed their first signing of the summer by bringing in Reims goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen. The 20-year-old France Under-21s international impressed with Reims last season, serving as their starting goalkeeper and making 34 Ligue 2 appearances as they finished sixth, and with the fourth-best defensive record in the league.

The young stopper is over 6ft 5ins tall and will be signed as a prospect with the hope he can supplant Nick Pope at some point in the not too distant future.

Magpies in search of another deal

REUTERS/Hannah Mckay

Newcastle may be shopping for the future in Jaouen, but they are also looking at players who can make an immediate impact, and Osasuna attacker Victor Muñoz certainly fits into that category.

The winger has impressed with the Spanish side this season, scoring seven and assisting five across all competitions, with the Pamplona side narrowly dodging relegation in LaLiga. The 22-year-old even won a call-up to the star-studded Spain World Cup squad, and that could complicate a transfer this summer, or at least the timing of it.

A report from the Northern Echo claims Newcastle are trying to make a breakthrough in negotiations before the Spain World Cup squad effectively shuts off all communications, although most players are already likely to have told their agents to stop business communications at this point. La Roja are just a few days from kicking off their World Cup campaign, and it’s a World Cup they have a serious chance of winning.

To further complicate things, Real Madrid hold a buy-back clause in Muñoz’s deal, having sold him to Osasuna, and if they do not take up the option of re-signing him, they will likely pocket a significant chunk of cash instead.

Osasuna are likely to demand the full release clause for their young World Cup star, which is worth £34.5million.

After seeking respite from the turmoil he left behind at Manchester United with a season-long loan to Barcelona last season, Marcus Rashford now finds himself back in square one. What initially looked like the perfect chance to get his career back on track has instead proved to be little more than a temporary fix – a lick of paint over deeper cracks – after La Blaugrana opted against paying the £30 million fee to make the move permanent.

First, the 28-year-old will be hoping to make his mark for England as they aim to bring football home for the first time in 60 years at this summer’s World Cup. But before he knows it, Rashford will be back at Old Trafford, once again at a crossroads for his career, weighing up his next move. Fortunately for him, he won’t be short of suitors lining up for him, it seems.

With so many question marks still hanging over his future, Oddschecker have compiled a list of 18 clubs who could be willing to take a punt on the Carrington academy graduate this summer – and there are some genuinely intriguing destinations in the mix.

Marcus Rashford’s Next Club Betting Odds

18. Liverpool – 40/1

via Reuters

Liverpool need a winger. They need one so desperately, in fact, they’ve even been linked with a move to bring Darwin Nunez back to the club, and with Andoni Iraola favouring fast buildup play, what’s to say Rashford couldn’t be a success at Anfield?

17. Manchester City – 40/1

Unlike the aforementioned Liverpool, Man City are blessed with decent wide options, with Jeremy Doku and Antoine Semenyo their current starters. Adding Rashford for what would feel like the sake of it would be yet another example of the Cityzens boasting an embarrassment of riches.

16. Any MLS Club – 33/1

Nathan Ray Seebeck | Imagn Images

The MLS is something of a retirement home for the once-good Premier League footballer who doesn’t want to hang up their boots just yet. Well, that was until Lionel Messi made the switch to Inter Miami, and if they come knocking on Rashford’s door, he might be reluctant to say no, even if it would be accepting that his time at the top would be more than less over.

15. AC Milan – 33/1

Fellow Englishmen Fikayo Tomori and Ruben Loftus-Cheek play for AC Milan, making Rashford’s potential switch to the iconic San Siro fairly straightforward in terms of settling into the Italian way. That job offer would come with a redemption story for both parties, too.

14. Chelsea – 25/1

Chelsea’s new owners can’t seem to stop buying wingers like they are going out of fashion. Alejandro Garnacho and Mykhailo Mudryk are just two examples of the club failing to bring in any decent ones, though, and signing Rashford comes with its own risks that the Blues’ free-spending hierarchy should probably avoid.

13. Real Madrid – 20/1

Should Rashford get the opportunity to sign for Barca’s direct rivals, then he would stage a reunion with Jose Mourinho. The risk is that, if the 27-year-old doesn’t meet the ever-so-lofty expectations of the Real Madrid fans, then the media in Spain’s capital are 10 times as brutal as they are in Catalonia, and it could ruin his confidence (just ask Jonathan Woodgate, or even Gareth Bale, despite the latter doing great things).

12. Arsenal – 20/1

Arsenal have long admired Rashford, and with Leandro Trossard heavily rumoured to leave the Gunners this summer, there is a vacancy for the England man to show north London what he’s got.

11. Any Saudi Pro League team – 20/1

The MLS, but richer. Rashford is surely too young to consider ditching European football just yet – but sometimes, money speaks louder than the heart could ever.

10. Atletico Madrid – 16/1

Rashford’s energetic performances hardly match Diego Simeone’s dark art ways of tournament football. What’s more, the one criticism he received more than any whilst in La Liga last season was that he was wasteful with his chances, despite managing eight goals and seven assists, mostly from the bench. With fewer opportunities at Atletico Madrid, this isn’t a match made in heaven at all.

9. Fenerbahce – 16/1

Turkish football is still a long way from matching the standards of Europe’s top five leagues, but with Fenerbahce and Galatasaray’s spending power in recent years, they can at least hope of that changing. Rashford would be a huge name in Istanbul, one that has commercial and performance value for Mourinho’s former side.

8. Juventus – 16/1

Juventus, like Milan, have spent the last few years rebuilding. Rashford could be a marquee signing for a side that needs some energy out wide, and the Carrington Academy graduate could form an underrated frontline alongside Dusan Vlahovic and Kenan Yildiz.

7. Paris Saint-Germain – 16/1

Rashford has three goals and three assists in seven appearances versus Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League in his career. If you can’t beat him, sign him – is that what they say?

6. Newcastle – 12/1

Anthony Gordon was snapped up by Barcelona, so if Rashford decided to go the other way, it could make for an exciting competition between the two England internationals. Which club made the right decision would be an interesting question to ask in a couple of seasons’ time.

5. Tottenham – 10/1

Tottenham are going to look like a completely different team next season. So many players will return from long-term injuries to play under Roberto De Zerbi – one of the best managers in the Premier League right now. Becoming the main character in a resurgence would be some way to help your reputation flourish again.

4. Aston Villa – 10/1

After taking a chance on Jadon Sancho – which failed spectacularly – it wouldn’t be like a club as well run as Aston Villa to go back in for seconds. But the current odds of just 10/1 suggest there is something there to monitor, and with the West Midlands side struggling with financial constraints, they might get a cut-throat deal for Rashford.

3. Bayern Munich – 5/2

Bayern Munich already have a super team at their fingertips. Rashford would be nothing more than a benchwarmer to Luis Diaz, you’d think. But in the same way Eric Dier was, perhaps he could be a good way to keep Harry Kane happy in Bavaria.

2. Barcelona – 4/1

Barcelona have ruled out paying the £30 million to make Rashford’s move permanent, but that’s not to say the Catalan giants won’t return for a loan agreement. That, according to several reports, is still on the cards, which would take the 28-year-old to his Man United contract expiry in June 2028.

1. Manchester United – 11/4

Whether it’s down to Michael Carrick seeing potential in him, or just the fact nobody wants to take a chance, Rashford’s most likely destination for next season is back at Old Trafford. The chances of him renewing his contract and staying beyond that point, however, are very slim.