Referee Omar Artan stays in the headlines after it was reported that FIFA intends to pay the Somali, denied entry to the United States and therefore his chance to officiate at the World Cup, his full fee.Artan probably would have preferred to just get on with things. The 34-year-old was slated to become the first Somali to referee at the World Cup, having been selected for the tournament by FIFA in an extensive process that began around three years ago.But, after arriving in Miami on a flight from Istanbul in the days before the World Cup began, Artan, 2025’s best referee in Africa, was turned away by Custom and Border Protection following further inspection. With trouble securing a visa because Somalia is named on the Trump administration’s travel ban list, Artan managed to obtain a diplomatic passport instead. That ought to have been enough to get into the country, but it later emerged that CBP alleged the referee had links with a terror organization, which he denied any such knowledge of during the inspection.Artan received a hero’s welcome on his arrival back in Somali capital Mogadishu and has since been appointed by UEFA to referee the 2026 Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in August—“UEFA wants to show its respect to Omar and his outstanding officiating skills.”BBC Sport first reported that FIFA has “committed to paying his salary”—or the salary he would have earned from officiating at the tournament—in full. ESPN later noted that Artan will be paid for his “match assignments,” suggesting the games he was expected to officiate.How Much Do World Cup Referees Get Paid?The fee is only paid after the tournament is over and some referees could earn more than others because it depends on how many matches they are involved with.At the 2022 World Cup, the base rate came in at a reported $70,000. Officials could then earn up to $5,000 more for each match they were involved with, with the exact amount depending on their role and the match round. This year, rumor has it the fee could start at $100,000, supposedly around double what it had been for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.Retired Premier League referee Mark Clattenberg recently explained on an episode of the Whistleblowers podcast that “daily allowances” are also paid out to cover basic expenses. He said that UEFA European Championship tournaments differ in that compensation is built around individual matches, rather than payment of a flat fee topped up by game bonuses.READ THE LATEST WORLD CUP NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FCAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow