Rejected Somalian referee given top European game By Luke PowerSomalian referee Omar Artan, who was denied entry to the United States due to his 'association with suspected members of terror organisations', has been given a top European game. The 34-year-old will take charge of the UEFA Super Cup clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa on August 12.Africa's top referee was welcomed home as a hero in Mogadishu yesterday. Football fever hits Mexico City By Luke PowerMexico City is officially in the grip of football. No surprise, perhaps, for a city with three major clubs. Some shameless sod has been flogging Lionel Messi shirts, which feels a bit of a kick in the teeth if the vendor is a local.Absolutely no idea what the installations are meant to be in the second image and to be honest I find them a bit creepy. Stop reaching your arms out, flat-faced statue. Don't touch me! Weather check By Luke PowerThe temperature for kick-off should be around 24 degrees celcius, nothing Mexico and South Africa won't be able to handle. There is the threat of a thunderstorm this afternoon, which could make things interesting in terms of a potential postponement, but we'll know nearer the time. A game will be temporarily called off if lightning is detected within an eight-mile radius of a stadium, and then half an hour has to pass after the final strike for the game to be resumed. Is this the BEST World Cup song? By Luke PowerI can't claim to have listened to them all but I think you'll struggle to find a better national theme tune than this.Bosnia and Herzegovina have absolutely smashed it out of the park with their suspiciously Eurovision-style entry.'I am from Bosnia, take me to America,I really want to see Statue of LibertyI can no longer wait, take me to United StatesTake me to Golden Gate, I will assimilate!'Cheesy, overenthusiastic, but what a tune! How are YOU watching the World Cup?By Luke PowerLet's get a bit of engagement going in the comments.Are you travelling to the World Cup or staying curled up on the sofa? Are you going out today to watch the opening ceremony?Let us know how you're watching the tournament and, if you have travelled, what your experiences have been like so far. Crucially, if you're a fan anywhere in the world, how do you think your team will get on? Your ultimate guide to the World Cup By Luke PowerFeeling a little bit overwhelmed by the information crashing at you from 360 different angles?Not really a fan of football, but just tune in for the best bits? (No judgement.)Caught a nasty case of World Cup fever and just want to soak up as much content as possible?Whoever you are, hopefully you fall into one of those three camps. If that's you, you'll find our mega World Cup guide a useful companion to navigate this opening day and get your head around what's going on. It's one of many detailed pieces we've put together for this World Cup. Mexican president gifts her ticket to indigenous athlete By Luke PowerA nice gesture from Mexico's president. Claudia Sheinbaum has given her ticket to the opening match to Yolett Cervantes Cuaquehua, a 21-year-old football player. Maybe heart-warming things can happen at this World Cup! Ivory Coast fans BANNED from the United StatesBy Luke PowerYet more sad news coming out of the United States.Home-based fans of the African nation have been denied visas to the United States, according to the the president of the national supporters’ committee, via AFP.The image below, taken on Monday, is presumably of fans who already live in the USA, then, or had travelled from elsewhere. It's not exactly clear. Julien Kouadio Adonis, president of the National Committee of Elephants Supporters (CNSE), said: 'The supporters have cancelled the trip because the US government does not want to see supporters from certain countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, on its soil. 'The United States has been clear with us, saying they do not want to see our supporters. This situation hurts us deeply because it prevents us from fulfilling our sacred duty, which is to support our team.'Is Mexico ready?It's always hard to host a World Cup, but Mexico - whisper it quietly - are still getting things straight. Daily Mail Sport's Oliver Holt went for a walkabout around the streets near the Azteca overnight and found, as he put it: 'Gangs of labourers unloading petunias and marigolds and planting them hurriedly near the main entrances to the giant mass of the steepling arena.'Elsewhere, more labourers were drawing black sheeting over fences to obscure unfinished parts of the infrastructure in advance of the arrival of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who was about to arrive to address the media.'He concluded: 'A veneer of beauty was being laid on to obscure some of what lies beneath.'The image below shows workers erecting a hige barrier at Benito Juarez International Airport in a bid to contain dissident teachers.Is Mexico ready? FIFA president Gianni Infantino: 'CHILL' about World Cup problems FIFA president Gianni Infantino issued a typically blase reply in response to questions about the suitability of the United States being a host nation: 'Chill'. Alright then. He had been asked specifically about Somali referee Omar Artan not being allowed entry to the US due to a travel ban, but his comments also came against a wider backdrop of concerns over ticket and transport costs, the potential threat posed by ICE officers, the USA-Iran war, gun violence near the England camp, and much more. 'It’s not easy when you have 300,000 accredited people, majority of which from outside of the US, to process them to vet them, you don’t know,' he said. 'Unfortunately, our world is a very aggressive world and security goes above everything and you need to respect the decisions which are taken and when I say to chill, I don’t mean to chill and do nothing.'I mean to trust us, that we are working behind the scenes, we are trying to understand and there are things we can know, things we cannot know, things we are told, not told.'We always try to make the situation as positive as possible and to find solutions. Sometimes we manage, other times not.'Protests threaten to disrupt opening day It wouldn't be a World Cup without a heavy dosage of political drama, unfortunately.Mexico City is bracing itself for a protest from teachers - yes, teachers - amid disgruntlement at wages and a discarded pension system. But that's not all. Transport workers, farmers, and sex workers have also been getting ready for action. Last night there was a large-scale vigil for missing persons. And of course, there will be troublemakers in the mix who represent none of these groups but simply want a taste of anarchy. Some have threatened to reach the stadium and Mexico has deployed roughly 100,000 police, including armed personnel, to try and control things. It comes amid a tense political backdrop over their relationship with the US and ongoing narcoviolence. In February, a Mexican cartel rampage left 60 dead. A nation alive with colour There are many questions overhanging this World Cup, and rightly so, but one thing you can't deny is the overflowing passion for football in Mexico.These images - the first two from Mexico City, the third from Guadalajara - do something to capture the feverish excitement building in the country, which is one of three host nations alongside the United States and Canada. Key Updates13:00