‘We Can’t Control Everything’ - Helpless FIFA President Tells Critics to ‘Chill’ Over Somali Referee Barred from US

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has advised critics to "chill and relax" following the denial of a U.S. visa to Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, which prevented him from officiating at the World Cup.

Artan was slated to be one of seven elite African referees at the tournament and was on track to become the first Somali to officiate a World Cup match. However, his dream was cut short when U.S. border officials denied him entry after an 11-hour interrogation.

The 34-year-old has since returned to Somalia, where he received a hero's welcome. The Trump administration cited unproven "terror ties" as the reason for the visa denial.

In a press conference held the day before the tournament began, Infantino refrained from strongly defending Artan, instead choosing to downplay the incident.

"When we are confronted with challenges, we have to deal with them," Infantino stated. "Sometimes we can solve them and other times we cannot and we try just to make the best."

He added, "I don’t regret anything. I’ve been organising events for the last 30 years and I’m pretty much used to dealing with issues, big and small."

Infantino described the situation as unfortunate but beyond FIFA's complete control. "What happened to Omar was unfortunate but we don’t control everything. We try, we discuss, we speak and we see," he said. "Maybe sometimes it’s good as well to just, you know, chill, relax.”