Somalia Referee Saga: Blatter Slams FIFA, Warns Against Undermining World Cup Values

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has criticised FIFA over the exclusion of Somali referee Omar Artan from the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, warning that the move threatens one of football’s core principles of universality.

Blatter, in a strongly worded post on X on Saturday, argued that every FIFA World Cup host nation has a responsibility to guarantee the safety of participants and ensure unrestricted entry for all qualified teams, match officials and referees.

According to him, the situation involving Artan runs contrary to those obligations and raises serious concerns about equal access and fairness at football’s biggest tournament.

“A FIFA World Cup host country must guarantee two fundamental principles: the safety of the country — and the unrestricted entry of all qualified teams, officials and referees,” Blatter stated.

He added that the case involving the Somali referee was inconsistent with one of those requirements, stressing that FIFA should never compromise on the global and inclusive nature of the sport.

“The case of referee Omar Artan from Somalia is against one of these obligations. FIFA must never compromise the universality of football,” he said.

Blatter’s remarks come amid growing controversy surrounding Artan’s inability to participate in the tournament despite being selected among the officials for the competition.

The comments are likely to intensify pressure on FIFA and tournament organisers to address concerns over access for accredited officials, as debate continues over whether the World Cup’s principles of inclusiveness and equal representation are being upheld.