June 9, 2026
Former England striker Ian Wright has criticised the organisation of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, describing the tournament as a “World Cup of chaos” after a Somali referee was denied entry into the United States.
The former Arsenal forward voiced his frustration following reports that Somali official Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who had been selected to officiate at the World Cup, was refused entry despite reportedly possessing valid travel documents.
Artan was set to become the first referee from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup and had been named among the 52 match officials selected for the tournament. However, FIFA later confirmed that he would no longer be part of the officiating roster after being denied entry into the United States.
Reacting in a video posted on his official social media, Wright suggested the incident was part of a wider pattern of issues surrounding the tournament.
