Micah Richards has insisted that action be taken after referee Omar Artan was banned from entering the United States ahead of this summer's World Cup. The US will co-host the tournament in North America alongside Canada and Mexico over the next few weeks.
Artan, who is from Somalia, was set to become the first referee from the country to officiate at the World Cup this summer, but was refused entry to the United States just days before the tournament was due to begin.
The World Cup will get underway on Thursday with Mexico taking on South Africa in Mexico City, before fellow Group A participants Czechia and South Korea go head-to-head in the second match of the tournament a few hours later.
Richards has now given his verdict on the situation, with the former Manchester City and Aston Villa defender believing that action needs to be taken. He said on the Rest Is Football podcast broadcast on Netflix: "Imagine taking that dream away from the referee who has worked for this moment."
He added: "To have it stripped away from you, it just doesn't feel right. It's not a good look, something needs to be done now. They need to do something and they need to do it quickly."
There will be more to follow on this breaking news story as further updates become available. The situation has sparked widespread concern among football figures, who argue that such incidents undermine the spirit of the World Cup. Richards, known for his passionate commentary, emphasized the need for swift resolution to ensure fairness for officials worldwide.
