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US Bars Somali Referee, Fans Face $690K Ticket Prices

6/9/2026

22 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

U.S. Customs denied entry to Somali referee Omar Artan, a World Cup official from Somalia, citing vetting concerns.
Ticket prices start at $1,120 for the opener and top out at $690,000 for a front-row seat, with a 30% resale fee.
U.S. authorities, whose rules reject over 40% of fans from nations and ban travelers from Iran, Haiti, Senegal and Ivory Coast, plan stadium sweeps and ICE presence at venues.

History

Historical Context

After the September 11 2001 attacks, Congress passed the USA PATRIOT Act—signed by President George W. Bush in October 2001—which amended the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act to give the INS and Customs broader screening authority and allocated $50 million for new technology. Those expanded powers now support entry bans for World Cup participants, including travelers from Iran, Haiti, Senegal and Ivory Coast.

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Story summary

U.S. Customs denied entry to Somali referee Omar Artan, a World Cup official from Somalia, citing vetting concerns.
Ticket prices start at $1,120 for the opener and top out at $690,000 for a front-row seat, with a 30% resale fee.
U.S. authorities, whose rules reject over 40% of fans from nations and ban travelers from Iran, Haiti, Senegal and Ivory Coast, plan stadium sweeps and ICE presence at venues.

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