A decision has already been made on whether Somali referee Omar Artan can take charge of 2026 World Cup matches in Canada and Mexico after being barred by the United States.

The 34-year-old was set to become the first ref from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup finals after making FIFA’s final list for the showpiece international tournament.

Named Africa’s best referee, Artan is widely regarded as a hero to people in his home country. He was interviewed for 11 hours by a border official and asked why he had travelled to the United States, while being pressed on questions around Somali politics and militant groups, according to The New York Times, via Sports Illustrated.

Artan is understood to have presented his FIFA documentation and single-entry visa but was placed on a plane to Istanbul, Turkey, before returning to his home country.

A US official told ESPN that Artan was denied entry due to “association with suspected members of terror organisations.”

Canadian Politicians Send World Cup Invitation to Artan

Although Artan has now returned to Somalia, the FIFA-listed referee has been sent a World Cup invitation by Canadian politicians.

British Columbia Premier David Eby, the political leader overseeing the seven World Cup fixtures in Vancouver, has expressed his desire to welcome the barred referee to BC and Canada for the tournament.

“Mr. Artan would be welcomed and celebrated in British Columbia for what he’s overcome and where he is today,” Eby said on social media. “Let’s have him referee in Vancouver.”

Meanwhile, Toronto mayor Olivia Chow, whose city are set to host six World Cup matches, said in a statement: “Denying entry to Omar Artan, who has earned his place on the world stage through hard work and perseverance, is not right. Toronto believes in fairness, inclusion, and giving talent the opportunity to shine.

Decision on Artan Refereeing Games in Canada and Mexico

Sports Illustrated add that Artan “would likely be allowed entry and could officiate in some of the 13 games, split between Vancouver and Toronto”.

However, BBC Sport have explained why this isn’t a possibility after Artan was sent home.

It’s been confirmed that it would not be possible for Artan to stay outside the United States and only referee matches played in Canada or Mexico.

The reason is that referees’ chief Pierluigi Collina has created a training hub for the tournament’s 52 referees and 88 assistant referees in Miami.

All on-pitch officials have been told they must stay at the base in Florida for training, preparation and security.

The fact Artan has been denied entry into the United States means he wouldn’t be able to attend the training hub in Miami, ending any remaining hope of him refereeing at the tournament.

With UFC Freedom 250 just a matter of days away now, heavyweight contender Alex Pereira has seemingly dropped a bombshell by claiming one of the fighters on the card will be FIRED once it’s all done and dusted.

Speaking in the pre-event press conference last night, the Brazilian was discussing one of the fighters on the stacked UFC White House card, and he dropped strong hints that his future may not be with Dana White‘s company, insinuating that his days are numbered.

Pereira, who is making his heavyweight debut this weekend on the South Lawn of the White House, is set to share the Octagon with Frenchman Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title, which would be his third belt in a different weight class following his success at middleweight and light heavyweight.

However, despite the biggest fight of his career upon him, Poatan has still had time to discuss other fighters on the card and their futures with, or in this case away, from the UFC.

What Alex Pereira Said Ahead of UFC Freedom 250

During the press conference for the event, Pereira was asked about a fellow fighter on the card, someone he clearly has no time for, and that’s when he dropped the bombshell that he’s heard some things about his future.

The fighter in question is none other than Josh Hokit, who has quite clearly rubbed the heavyweight up the wrong way with his antics over the past few weeks.

After being asked about Hokit, Pereira said: “Honestly, I didn’t even want to talk about [Hokit], but I’m going to make this very clear here.

Josh Hokit’s Controversial Antics

It would probably come as little surprise to many UFC fans that Josh Hokit’s future with the company is uncertain, especially given the fact that controversy is never too far away from the American.

He has built up a reputation over the last few years of saying what he thinks, especially in post-fight interviews, and those opinions are likely what’s going to get him into trouble down the line.

Following his TKO victory at UFC 324, which was actually the first UFC event to be streamed live on Paramount+, he responded to the idea of “losing in a fist fight” by stating: “N-word, please.”

If that wasn’t risky enough, during the same interview, he called out Waldo Cortes-Acosta, labelling him a “deadbeat father not to one kid, but to nine,” and concluded the very same interview by stating: “And P.S., Brittney Griner is a man.”

In response to said interview, Dana White stated: “I heard about it. I didn’t see it. I don’t love it.”

Hokit has a 9-0 professional MMA record, with a 3-0 record in the UFC, but his days could be numbered, especially if what Alex Pereira has heard is accurate.

FIFA have forced one nation competing at the 2026 World Cup finals to change their kit design hours before the tournament gets underway.

Mexico and South Africa kick-off the showpiece international tournament on Thursday (8pm BST). FIFA president Gianni Infantino caused another stir on Wednesday during his pre-tournament press conference, urging reporters to “chill” and “relax” after Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry into the United States.

The 2026 World Cup – co-hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada – has attracted various negative headlines for matters off the field in the days leading up to the tournament.

As well as the ongoing issue over Artan, who received a hero’s welcome on his return to his home country, there’s also been backlash over the treatment of Iran’s national football team, the ‘scandalous’ cost of drinks at one stadium, and how US security reportedly dealt with the Senegal and Uzbekistan national teams following their arrivals.

Meanwhile, Iraq striker Aymen Hussein was held and questioned for nearly seven hours at Chicago’s O’Hare airport after arriving with the squad.

2026 World Cup Nation’s Kit Banned

Troy Taormina via IMAGN

Now, just days before their opening World Cup match against Scotland this weekend (Sunday, 2am BST), Haiti have been instructed by world football’s governing body to change their kit design.

The Haiti shirt design, depicting a war scene, fails to comply with FIFA rules and has effectively been banned.

The jersey features an illustration of the Battle of Vertieres in 1803, which secured Haiti’s independence, with the country’s flag. The shirt was worn in both of Haiti’s World Cup warm-up friendlies against New Zealand and Peru.

Per BBC Sport, FIFA’s equipment regulations prohibit the use of any “political, religious, or personal messages or slogans” on kit.

Colombian manufacturer Saeta said in a statement that its original design “was a tribute to the men and women who contribute every day to Haiti’s future” and “was not intended as a political statement”. It added:

Investigative Journalist Reacts to FIFA Decision

Benoit Tessier via Reuters

In response to the decision, French investigative journalist Romain Molina described FIFA’s stance as “double standards” on X (Twitter), adding: “On the occasion of the most politicised World Cup in history, where a Somali referee and an Iraqi photographer were turned away by one of the host countries for political reasons (in total contradiction to the signed contracts), FIFA imposed on Saeta, the kit supplier for the Haitian national team, to modify the jersey that had been made due to its political nature.

“At issue: a representation of the Battle of Vertieres (November 1803), which marked the culmination of the Haitian Revolution and the proclamation of independence a few weeks later (January 1, 1804) of the world’s first Black republic.

“A symbol of national pride, this battle was chosen by Saeta as a tribute to those men and women who enabled the emancipation of a country raising its flag toward the sky.

Haiti, competing in their first World Cup campaign in 52 years, face Brazil and Morocco in their other two Group C fixtures.

The Caribbean nation last qualified for the World Cup back in 1974. In what was their only previous appearance at the tournament, Haiti lost all three group matches, conceding 14 goals in the process.