SOMALI WORLD CUP REFEREE DENIED ENTRY TO UNITED STATES. (PHOTO).

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 Somali World Cup Referee Denied Entry to United States Award-winning Somali referee, Omar Artan, has been denied entry into the United States despite holding a valid visa, according to a senior official in Somalia’s sports ministry. Artan, who is set to become the first Somali referee to officiate at the FIFA World Cup finals, was stopped at Miami International Airport and subsequently returned to Istanbul, where he had been residing. The reason for the denial was not immediately disclosed. However, Somalia is among the countries affected by a travel ban introduced by the administration of Donald Trump. Reacting to the development, Ciise Aden Abshir, a senior adviser to Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports and a former national team captain, described Artan as one of Africa’s most respected referees. “Omar Artan is among Africa’s most respected referees and deserves the support of the entire football community,” Abshir told AFP on Monday. He added that preventing the referee fro...
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LOS ANGELES DODGERS TO FACE RECORD $169 MILLION LUXURY TAX FOLLOWING BACK-TO-BACK WORLD SERIES WINS. (PHOTO).

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 Los Angeles Dodgers to face record $169 million luxury tax following back-to-back World Series wins

 The Los Angeles Dodgers will pay a record $169.4 million in luxury tax after winning their second consecutive World Series, bringing their total tax bill over two years to $272.4 million.

The New York Mets recorded the second-highest tax payment at $91.6 million, despite missing the 12-team playoffs, raising their four-year total under owner Steve Cohen to $320.3 million. The Dodgers will pay luxury tax for the fifth straight season, surpassing last year’s record of $103 million and overtaking the New York Yankees in total tax paid since the penalty’s 2003 inception, with Los Angeles at $519.4 million and New York at $514.2 million.

The Dodgers’ luxury tax payroll reached $417.3 million, topping the 2023 Mets’ $374.7 million. Their total included $949,244 in noncash compensation for two-way star Shohei Ohtani, covering a suite at Dodger Stadium and interpreter services. The Mets’ $346.7 million payroll included $369,886 in noncash compensation for Juan Soto, covering a luxury suite, premium tickets, and personal security, bringing his record tax salary to $51.8 million.

Other teams paying luxury tax include the Yankees at $61.8 million, Philadelphia $56.1 million, AL champion Toronto $13.6 million, San Diego just under $7 million, Boston and Houston at around $1.5 million, and Texas at roughly $190,000. Nine teams paid, matching the record set last year, and the total $402.6 million exceeded the previous high of $311.3 million. Payments are due to MLB by Jan. 21.

Toronto avoided a higher tax by cutting payroll before the 2024 trade deadline, saving roughly $21 million. Since 2003, 15 teams have been assessed more than $1.63 billion in luxury taxes. The Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, and Phillies have paid for four consecutive seasons, with Philadelphia’s $80.3 million surpassing Boston’s $53.2 million for the fourth-highest total since the tax began.

Teams paying the tax face escalating rates depending on how far their payroll exceeds the threshold, ranging from 50% to 110% for repeat offenders over multiple years. Houston pays 30% over the threshold for the second consecutive year, while Boston, San Diego, and Toronto pay rates between 20% and 62.5% depending on the amount above the threshold.

Luxury tax funds are allocated partly to player benefits, including Individual Retirement Accounts, and a supplemental commissioner’s discretionary fund distributed among revenue-sharing-eligible teams. The initial 2025 threshold is set at $244 million, with the highest tax rate applying to payrolls exceeding $304 million. Regular payroll figures, including 2025 salaries and bonuses, have yet to be finalized.


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