Indonesia was Punished, but the U.S. is ‘Respected’ After Blocking a World Cup Referee
In 2023, Indonesia lost the right to host the FIFA U-20 World Cup after political resistance to Israel’s participation. FIFA did not simply say ‘host nation sovereignty.’ It removed Indonesia as host, moved the tournament to Argentina and restricted FIFA development funding.
But in 2026, when the U.S. denied entry to FIFA-appointed Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan – one of Africa’s top referees and a historic World Cup appointee – FIFA accepted the host country’s immigration decision and removed him from the World Cup list.
The World Cup is built on the principles of fairness, neutrality and global inclusion. But those principles are now being tested.
So the question is – does FIFA’s principle change depending on who the host is?
When a weaker host blocks participation, FIFA punishes.
When a powerful host blocks a FIFA official, FIFA respects ‘immigration sovereignty.’
FIFA cannot claim to be neutral when its response depends on the power of the host country. If hosting obligations apply to Indonesia, they must also apply to the United States.
Op-Ed by: Shukri Osman
