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World Cup Referee Reveals Details About Why He Was Denied US Entry

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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

Barred 2026 World Cup Referee Omar Artan Speaks Out as FIFA Issue Statement

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:

“I’m simply a referee trying to live my dream, the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup. I had all my papers in order, yet I was interrogated for hours, thrown into prison, and then expelled. I think they have a problem with my country.”

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:

“They asked me several times if I had ever met representatives of Al Shabab. I explained to them that I knew nothing about this military group, that I was only in the United States to do my job as a referee.”


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Artan Was Set To Make History at 2026 World Cup

world cup trophy

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.”

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Erling Haaland Reacts to Real Madrid’s Bizarre Bernardo Silva Video

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Erling Haaland’s five-word reaction to Real Madrid’s ‘embarrassing’ Bernardo Silva video has gone viral after his former Manchester City teammate was seen representing his new colours this week.

Considered among the most underrated players of the Premier League era during his time at the Etihad Stadium – which culminated in 460 appearances and a staggering 20 major honours, including six league titles and a coveted Champions League as part of the 2022/23 treble-winning season – Silva made a free transfer to Real Madrid upon the expiry of his contract.

This coming season, the 32-year-old will come up against former partner-in-crime Rodri, who joined Barcelona. How well the Cityzens can do without some of their most prized senior assets this term remains to be seen, especially since they start life without Pep Guardiola, with Enzo Maresca now having been passed the baton.

Real Madrid’s Bizarre Bernardo Silva Unveiling Video

Bernardo Silva

Real Madrid posted a very interesting unveiling-style video for Bernardo Silva on Wednesday night, made all the more bizarre by the fact he had already made his debut for Jose Mourinho’s side on Sunday – to which Man City fans had a lot to say about in their verdict.

The video features a wide range of AI-generated wildlife – including a hedgehog, sheep, meerkats, a school of fish, penguins, beavers, and an octopus – looking interested in something, then finishes with a shot of the midfielder, welcoming him to the Bernabeu. Watch the full video below:

Reacting to the strange 57-second clip, one X user wrote: “This is really embarrassing,” with many other critics calling on the club to do better or sack the social media team.

Erling Haaland’s Reaction Quickly Went Viral

Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland

It wasn’t long before Haaland – whose earnt a bit of a reputation for being ‘chronically online’ as he gained even more fame across the World Cup period for his social media activity, also reacted to it. He wrote (see his Instagram comment below):

“Did you agree to this, @bernardocarvalhosilva?”

The towering Norwegian striker rarely ever misses when it comes to making world football laugh, and he’s done a fantastic job of keeping his fans entertained this time.

On a footballing level, it seems Haaland will continue to keep in touch with his former teammate, and there’s every chance the goalscoring machine will miss the qualities Silva brings to City, with the Portugal international very much a water carrier for a gluttony of trophies.

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Ex-WWE Superstar Dawn Marie Reveals Real Reason She’s Making Adult Content

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Former WWE star Dawn Marie has revealed the true and different intention behind her new OnlyFans page.

Prior to her WWE career, Marie made her professional wrestling debut in January 1995, managing Tony Atlas against Jimmy Snuka. She then worked her way down the East Coast before signing with ECW in 1998 and enjoying a four-year stint there.

She then signed with WWE in 2002 and, during her tenure, was best known for a memorable storyline with Torrie Wilson, in which she ended up in a relationship with Wilson’s real-life father, Al Wilson.

Marie explained that the moment she stepped foot onto the first show she knew she had made the right decision for herself.

“The second I walked out that curtain and I had that moment. It was so profound,” she said. “Literally, I could remember, I walk out and going, It was weird. It was like, scary at first, but then it felt so peaceful. Like, at first, it was scary because you’re like, ‘What the freak is going on, right?’ And then it was like, it just felt right.”

She was later released from her WWE contract while on maternity leave in July 2005 and went on to make frequent appearances for several independent wrestling companies over the following years, including making a brief return to WWE in 2024 at NXT Halloween Havoc as a special guest referee for a match between Jaida Parker and Lola Vice.

Dawn Marie Explains Her OnlyFans Decision

Dawn Marie

The now 55-year-old revealed to her followers last week that she was starting an OnlyFans page, but her reasoning behind it was different than most.

Marie, who has worked as a dementia care nurse for almost 10 years, explained that she suffered many injuries while being in the ring, taking bumps from her fellow wrestlers. She said that neck injuries, specifically, have made her job as a nurse tough and contributed to her new venture.

“I have a lot of residual issues, from being a nurse and from wrestling. I choose not to be what I see on a daily basis – people my age in beds and never getting back up. It’s scary. And the only difference is it happened to them and not me.

“This is just preparing a little extra something for my future – just in case.”

Marie’s content will also not be typical of what is normally seen on the platform, as she will not be posting any explicit content to her page.

“It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be flirty. We’re not doing nudes, which I made that very clear. Just going to be Dawn Marie.

“I’m proud of who I am, and I’m proud that I kept my body strong,” she continued. “I was hardcore in ECW, and I’ll continue to be hardcore after.”

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Liam Delap Stripped of Chelsea No. 9 Shirt and Handed New Number

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Liam Delap has lost the number nine shirt at Chelsea, 14 months after his £30 million transfer from Ipswich Town.

The 23-year-old is one of several players now training separately to the main squad ahead of the Blues’ 2026-27 Premier League opening fixture against neighbours Fulham on Monday.

According to BBC Sport, Chelsea are seeking £50 million for Delap, who only managed to score one goal in 28 Premier League appearances during his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge. The former England Under-21 international netted two goals in 41 matches across all competitions.

Delap’s underwhelming season appears to have cost him not only his shirt number but his Chelsea career, as new head coach Xabi Alonso revamps the squad.

Forward Nicolas Jackson and winger Mykhailo Mudryk are also in the same training group as Delap at Cobham, although club sources insist it’s different from the “bomb squad” approach taken last season when the likes of Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi were frozen out.

Joao Pedro Handed No. 9, Delap Also Gets New Number

Joao Pedro REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

Chelsea have confirmed that the club’s number nine shirt has been handed to Brazil international Joao Pedro, who scored 20 goals in 50 games for the Blues last term.

Delap, meanwhile, has been forced to settle for the number 12 jersey, previously worn by back-up goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen, who has moved to French side Strasbourg on loan.

The number 12 shirt has been worn by 10 Chelsea players during the Premier League era. The most notable former No. 12 is John Obi Mikel, who won two Premier League titles in 2010 and 2015. Defender Michael Duberry also wore 12 during the mid-to-late-1990s.

Chelsea’s No. 12s (Since 1992)

Filip Jorgensen

(24/25 – 25/26)

Ruben Loftus-Cheek

(18/19 – 22/23)

Victor Moses

(13/14)

John Obi Mikel

(06/07 – 15/16)

Carlton Cole

(05/06)

Mario Stanic

(00/01 – 03/04)

Bjarne Goldbaek

(98/99 – 99/00)

Michael Duberry

(96/97 – 98/99)

Craig Burley

(94/95 – 95/96)

Steve Clarke

(93/94)

Stats via Transfermarkt

Chelsea Announce Further 2026-27 Squad Number Changes

Chelsea's Danny Welbeck during training Chelsea’s Danny Welbeck via REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

In a statement, Chelsea confirmed the following squad number changes for the new season: “Striker Joao Pedro has switched to the No.9 shirt, having been named the club’s Player of the Year last season.

“Wesley Fofana has also changed number, with the Frenchman now set to wear the No.3 shirt for the upcoming campaign.

“Summer signing Morgan Rogers was announced as the Blues’ new No.17 following his arrival back in July.

“Marco Palestra, Valentin Barco and Maxence Lacroix have been handed two, four and five shirts respectively.

“Jordan Henderson is to take the No.14 shirt, Danny Welbeck will wear No.18, Emmanuel Emegha the No.22, Geovany Quenda the No.23 and Pep Chavarria the No.29.”

Cole Palmer will continue to wear the No. 10 shirt at Stamford Bridge, while Robert Sanchez continues as Chelsea’s No. 1 goalkeeper.

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