Omar Artan makes history as Somalia’s first World Cup referee

The inclusion of referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan as a match official for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States has sparked mass jubilation in Somalia. The highly rated referee is set to become the first match official from the country to handle a World Cup game.

Somali football has seen some positive developments since the start of the year. Their national side secured a maiden appearance in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in March 2026, and now FIFA has included Artan as a match official for the World Cup.

Ready for the @FIFAWorldCup 🙌

Congratulations to all of the match officials who will be heading to Canada, Mexico and the United States this June! pic.twitter.com/GeeAsiRYIO

— FIFA (@FIFAcom) April 9, 2026

Artan was born in Mogadishu in 1992 and became a FIFA-listed referee in 2018. He has officiated in the Somali National League and General Daud Cup matches, winning the 2025 CAF Best Referee of the Year award. He has officiated CAF interclub competitions, AFCON, and the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile.

His selection has been positively received in his country, as Somalia’s president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, praised Artan. “This valuable achievement boosts the reputation of Somalia and shows the ability and talent of Somali youth, who are proud to represent their country on the world stage. I congratulate the effort, skill, and integrity shown by Omar; he has become an inspiration for the new Somali generation.”

According to FIFA, 52 referees, 88 assistant referees, and 30 video match officials from all six confederations and 50 member associations have been selected for the competition. Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s Chief Refereeing Officer and chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, said:

“The selected match officials are the very best in the world. They were part of a wider pool of officials identified and monitored over the past three years. They have attended seminars and officiated at FIFA tournaments. In addition, their performances in domestic and international matches were regularly assessed.”

Six referees from Africa have been included, with 2025 AFCON final referee Jean-Jacques Ndala missing out on selection. Tom Abongile (South Africa), Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria), Amin Mohamed (Egypt), Pierre Atcho (Gabon), Jayed Jalal (Morocco), and Omar Abdulkadir Artan (Somalia) will represent the continent at the finals.