I was talking to a world class official in a different sport, and this person told me what an incredible political and technical challenge it is to officiate the world championship in his thing - it's like being elected pope or something.
That gives me a sense of how devastating his must be.
Raffi Melkonian
In his first interview since being kicked out of the US, FIFA referee Omar Artan tells’s the NYT’s Matt Bigg that the biggest dream of his professional life has been shattered. The World Cup ref was questioned for 11 hours, held in a cell and then dumped on a plane.
www.nytimes.com/2026/06/09/w...
