Adam Matan OBE

This is Omar Abdulkadir Artan. Once a little boy from Somalia who fell in love with the beautiful game. A boy who dared to dream of something so big that most people thought was impossible. But he kept going. Year after year. Match after match and sacrifice after sacrifice. That dream led him to become the FIRST Somali referee ever selected for a FIFA World Cup. Think about that. Out of millions of people. Out of entire countries. He earned a place on the biggest stage this sport has to offer. Imagine finally getting there. Imagine calling your family. Imagine knowing that every sacrifice was worth it especially when you questioned it. Imagine not just the pride of your own country but countries celebrating you. Then imagine being told you can’t be there. Football doesn't care where you're from, what language you speak or what flag is on your passport. It doesn’t care about politics. It cares about sacrifice. It cares about the years nobody saw. The early mornings, missed holidays, time away from your family and the moments you can never get back. It cares about what you’ve earned and a place at a World Cup should be decided by what you've given to the game and not where you were born. The World Cup is supposed to bring the world together and not remind us of the lines that divide us because football is and always will be, for everyone.