The 2026 World Cup is just days away, and for the officials selected to referee it, the honour of being chosen represents the pinnacle of a career.

Officials this year are set for the biggest single payday of their careers, but for Omar Artan, that dream has been snatched away before he could blow the whistle once.

The Somali referee was set to make history as the first official from his country to referee at a World Cup, a huge achievement for a man who navigated genuine danger and instability just to reach local stadiums in his homeland.

He’d already broken barriers at the Africa Cup of Nations and overseen a CAF Champions League final. The World Cup was the next step. Instead, he was refused entry into the United States upon arrival in Miami, with FIFA confirming they wouldn’t intervene.

Despite Artan being a FIFA-approved referee, Somalia is among the countries on the US travel ban list, and that, apparently, was that.

Furious Reaction as Referee is Denied World Cup Entry

The response from within football has been one of near-universal dismay. Former referee Christina Unkel, who is set to work as a pundit at the tournament, described the news as making her “incredibly sick”. Summing it all up by saying:

Ian Wright was equally forceful, pointing to a pattern of fans, players, journalists and officials being denied entry and questioning whether this is how the hosts of the greatest tournament in football should be behaving.

He reserved particular sympathy for American fans, arguing they deserved better than the chaos surrounding their own World Cup.

Former PGMOL Boss Says FIFA Must Pay Up

Former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee Keith Hackett has gone further still on X.

Hackett was responding to a post from MP Jeremy Corbyn, who summed the situation up as “racism, plain and simple”. Hackett argued that FIFA, having failed to support Artan’s case, now has a financial obligation to pay the man they let down. Here’s what he had to say:

The retired official also claimed the governing body should be forced to pay Artan the £74,630 he will now be denied after his admission to the US was blocked. Heckett told Football Insider:

Referees at the tournament were set to earn in the region of $100,000, and Hackett’s position is that FIFA should make a discretionary payment of exactly that figure.

Piers Morgan never shies away from giving his controversial opinions, whether it be on global politics or world football. The British journalist and media personality has now caused a stir with his all-time World Cup XI.

Morgan, an Arsenal fan, has left Lionel Messi out of his line-up completely, despite finally getting his hands on the trophy in 2022. The Argentina legend, largely viewed as the greatest footballer ever, was crucial to his nation’s success in Qatar.

After being called out for snubbing the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, Morgan hit back by claiming he wasn’t even Argentina’s best-ever performer on the biggest stage. He said: “Messi’s not even the best Argentinian World Cup player… I went for Maradona instead.”

Piers Morgan Picks Cristiano Ronaldo in World Cup XI

In terms of the players who did actually make his team, the 61-year-old included England’s 1966 hero goalkeeper Gordon Banks, with Italian centre-back duo Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini in front of him. The latter didn’t actually win the World Cup, but is one of the greatest defenders of all time.

His full-backs are a pair of Brazilians. Cafu and Roberto Carlos were crucial in the Selecao’s most recent triumph in 2002, while the former had lifted the trophy eight years prior. They are largely seen as the best right and left-backs in the competition’s history.

Morgan named a stacked midfield consisting of three Ballon d’Or winners. Lothar Matthaus played in five World Cups during his career, winning it once in 1990. Meanwhile, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldinho were the geniuses behind France and Brazil’s 1998 and 2002 wins.

The front three includes Argentina’s best World Cup player, in Morgan’s eyes, Diego Maradona. The diminutive superstar tore England apart and was generally unplayable during the 1986 World Cup.

Accompanying him in the forward line is Ronaldo Nazario, who was vital for his country winning in 2002. The second player in Morgan’s XI who has never won the World Cup is Cristiano Ronaldo. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner could still change that as Portugal are among the 2026 favourites.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Inclusion Angers Fans

Rodrigo Antunes via Reuters

The biggest talking point on social media was how Ronaldo managed to sneak into Morgan’s XI, despite never scoring a goal in the knockout rounds. Messi and Brazil icon Pele missed out as a result, something that annoyed one X user, who said: “No Pele, no Messi. You must be joking, right? What’s Ronaldo doing there lol?”

“All-time WORLD CUP XI with Cristiano Ronaldo. Sensational rage bait, he’s got me,” another stated. Some think it’s biased due to the fact Morgan has a personal relationship with the Al-Nassr star: “Oh my god, you’ve put Cristiano, not Ronaldo, because you think he’s your mate and you’re on first-name terms with him.”

The 41-year-old’s poor record on the biggest international stage was further compounded by a fan saying: “Noticed how most of the players here have a World Cup trophy and the one he adores has never seen the semis twice.”

This will be a sixth World Cup for Ronaldo, and the zero goals he’s managed in knockout ties is the biggest factor people have pointed out: “Picking an attacker that has never scored a knockout goal at a World Cup in an all-time World Cup team. Listen. Fair play.”

Manchester United have plenty of transfer targets lined up, but one such star is talking to current players about a possible move to Old Trafford, according to The Sun.

The Red Devils are in the middle of another rebuild, following a successful end to the campaign that saw Michael Carrick guide the team back into the Champions League.

That return to Europe will mean the club needs to add quality and depth to the ranks to give the manager the best chance possible of competing across all fronts next season.

Several key areas are being lined up for improvements, but most important of them all is midfield, where a deal for Ederson is already agreed.

Beyond him, Man United are still expected to spend big in midfield, with one of those options now quizzing current players about what life may be like at Old Trafford.

Carlos Baleba Eyes Man United Transfer

One of the stars linked with a switch in midfield is Carlos Baleba, as Man United attempted to sign the Brighton ace last summer, but failed in their bid to make a move.

The Cameroonian international has remained on the shortlist since, but has been joined by links with the likes of Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton, Sandro Tonali, and more.

As the search for a midfielder continue, The Sun reports that Baleba has been actively speaking to Man United stars about the possibility of joining the club.

It’s claimed that the 22-year-old spoke with Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha after United’s win over Brighton on the final day of the Premier League campaign, while he has been talked up by current stars in the squad before.

While that all may suggest a deal could be on the cards, it remains to be seen whether the Red Devils will make their interest concrete with an offer.

Similarly, after Brighton rejected an approach last summer, it’s unclear exactly how they would evaluate Baleba’s availability now, following a campaign that saw him in and out of the team.

Baleba’s 2025/26 Struggles

Baleba has shown plenty of quality in his time at Brighton, but 2025/26 proved to be a slightly more challenging campaign for the midfielder than the previous one.

The Cameroonian star started just 23 games in the Premier League last campaign, with the start of the season coming as quite a struggle as he was substituted off in several high-profile matches.

The concerns continued as Baleba only completed 90 minutes three times in the league campaign, though his schedule was also packed out with the Africa Cup of Nations in the middle of it all.

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler suggested that perhaps the mention of a move to Man United did impact the midfield ace at the start of the campaign.

Baleba has previously been described as “world-class”, and he has shown elements of having that ability. The question is whether he can hit those heights and on a consistent basis, be that at Man United or elsewhere.