Gianni Infantino Tells Fans To Chill After U.S. Denies Entry To Somali Referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan

FIFA president Gianni Infantino urged fans to “chill, relax” amid backlash and controversies ahead of the 2026 World Cup, including the U.S. denial of entry to Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan.

“Maybe sometimes it's good as well to just, you know, chill, relax”

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Infantino spoke to reporters in Mexico ahead of the tournament and said, “It is unfortunate as well what happened to Omar, the referee from Somalia. But again, we don't control everything,” while defending FIFA’s role in the lead-up to kickoff.

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The denial of Artan’s entry by U.S. Customs and Border Protection came as he was due to become the first Somali referee to officiate at a FIFA World Cup, and he returned Wednesday to Somalia from Istanbul.

Infantino also told reporters, “When I say to chill, I don't mean to chill and do nothing,” clarifying that he was urging trust while FIFA worked behind the scenes to find solutions.

The Somali government said, “Somalia will continue engaging with relevant partners to seek further clarification regarding this matter and to safeguard the dignity and rights of its citizens,” after the U.S. refusal of entry.

Alongside the referee dispute, Infantino defended World Cup ticket prices and argued that if FIFA did something wrong, “then probably everyone selling tickets in North America is doing something wrong.”

Speaking during a rare question-and-answer session on the eve of the opening match, he said FIFA was powerless to get the U.S. government to admit a Somali referee and praised his ability to get Iran’s national soccer team into the United States.

BBC

FIFA priced tickets starting at $140 for group-stage games, while regular seats for the July 19 final outside New York were listed at up to $8,680 and hospitality seats at up to $73,200.

After criticism, FIFA offered $60 tickets to national federations for their regular supporters, and Infantino said 130,000 tickets were offered in that category.

Infantino also said he was unconcerned about ticket probes by attorneys general in California, New Jersey, New York and Texas, adding, “We are very relaxed about it” as FIFA checked its approach before selling 6 and a half or 7 million tickets.

Infantino linked the tournament’s political and travel disputes to the broader challenge of working across governments, saying, “You know, again, we don't live on the moon; we live on the planet Earth, and you have to deal with different situations.”

“we don't live on the moon; we live on the planet Earth”

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He also defended FIFA’s handling of Iran’s participation, with the Iranian team moving its training camp from the U.S. to Mexico as visa restrictions shaped preparations.

The AP reported that Infantino praised FIFA for working through details that allow Iran to play in the tournament at a time the U.S. is at war with that country, while the Iranian team moved its training camp from the U.S. to Mexico.

Infantino’s comments came as the World Cup was set to kick off in Mexico City with a match between Mexico and South Africa at Estadio Azteca, and his press conference was described as his first in three years.

In the same run-up, the AP noted that Infantino said it was unfortunate Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the U.S., and he urged that “Maybe sometimes it’s good as well to just chill, relax,” while emphasizing FIFA’s limits over sovereign decisions.