Somalia President Hassan Mohamud has congratulated referee Omar Artan for historic World Cup finals selection milestone moment in Somalia’s sports history.
FIFA announced 52 referees selected for June-July finals officiating panel across Canada Mexico and United States tournament duties.
Somalia President Hassan Mohamud said Artan has raised Somalia’s reputation on international stage through excellence and professionalism globally.
He described him as a symbol of inspiration for new generation of Somalis across the country and diaspora communities worldwide.
Artan has long been a groundbreaker in a nation that has never qualified for international football tournaments finals stage events.
Artan became a FIFA referee in 2018 officiating Somali national league championships since then regularly officiating domestic competitions across the country.
He made mark first Somalia-born referee CAF Champions League match Mamelodi Sundowns Pyramids FC Cairo Jan 2025 fixture history moment.
He officiated at 2023 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Algeria showing his growing continental profile and elite refereeing recognition.
In 2025 CAF named him best men’s referee of year recognising consistent high-level performance across competitions on continent stage award.
However he missed AFCON finals in Morocco earlier this year despite being selected without participation on the final tournament roster.
Somalia beat Mauritius 4-2 penalties in March to qualify for group stage for first time AFCON 2027 hope progress moment.
The finals co-hosted for first time by Kenya Tanzania Uganda East African nations marking regional football milestone in continental sporting history.