Iran arrives in Los Angeles ahead of Monday match against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood

Somali referee Omar Artan will be paid for his World Cup match assignments by FIFA, sources told ESPN, after he was refused entry into the United States prior to the start of the tournament.

Artan, recognized as Africa's leading referee, returned to Somalia after being turned away from the U.S. on his arrival in Miami last week because of visa issues.

A statement by U.S. Border and Customs Protection cited "vetting concerns" for the 34-year-old's removal from the country. FIFA president Gianni Infantino told critics to "chill and relax" when asked about FIFA's failure to intervene successfully on Artan's behalf.

But sources have said that Artan will be fully remunerated for his commitments at the World Cup. The exact figure has yet to be determined due to the number of games that Artan would have been assigned.

In the wake of Artan's exclusion from the World Cup, UEFA moved to appoint the official to take charge of the UEFA Super Cup, a preseason clash between Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and Europa League winners Aston Villa in Salzburg, Austria, in August.

Iran's National Soccer Team is set to play in the second match of this year's World Cup hosted at Los Angeles Stadium amid major political tensions.

Iran's National Soccer Team is set to play in the second match of this year's World Cup hosted at Los Angeles (SoFi) Stadium amid major political tensions.

There has been plenty of government push-back, public protests, and even lawsuits in the days and weeks leading up to the match.

A protest against the current Iranian government is planned for Sunday at 11 a.m. by members of the local Iranian American Community. The group behind it says they're protesting the regime's ongoing human rights abuses with a focus on athletes and political prisoners.

There have already been several local protests in the leadup to the World Cup involving Iran. There was another protest outside Los Angeles City Hall on Wednesday, which called on FIFA to suspend and expel the Iranian regime from international football.

In a different protest at SoFi Stadium last Sunday, protesters called on FIFA to allow Iran's pre-revolution lion and son flags. Fans are currently barred from bringing the flag into World Cup stadiums, presumably because FIFA considers it a political symbol, which is prohibited under tournament rules.

"It's just off why they're banning certain flags. This is a sports game. They're claiming to not get involved politically, but they're making it political," said protest organizer Arzeo Rashidian. "We support the players because we know that not all of the players stand with what the regime has done, but they're sports, they're athletes."

A local organization filed a lawsuit against FIFA in L.A. County court this past week, calling the ban unlawful. Eyewitness News has reached out to FIFA for a statement on that lawsuit but still waiting to hear back.

The game against New Zealand kicks off Monday at 6 p.m. under heavy security.

Restrictions limit the team to arriving just one day before and leaving one day after the game.

FIFA blocked ticket sales for Iranian fans after the U.S. denied visas to 15 team officials over security fears.

The excitement of the World Cup is radiating across Southern California on Saturday after the thrilling Team USA win on Friday night in Inglewood.

The excitement of the World Cup is radiating across Southern California on Saturday after the thrilling Team USA win on Friday night in Inglewood.

Fans have been showing up in droves at watch parties across many communities, bringing the region together in what is our country's best chance for a World Cup in decades.

The biggest watch party on Saturday was at the official FIFA Fan Fest at the Coliseum. Thousands of fans packed the Coliseum in Exposition Park for Brazil vs. Morocco -- which ended in a draw with a score of 1-1.

Eyewitness News caught up with one family who was split on their support for each country.

"I'm just a big fan of Brazil. I've always been a fan of how they play with a lot of joy, a lot of flair, a lot of creativity. So it's just the team I support," said Ramon Escobedo.

"You know, I like to root for the underdogs, and honestly, last World Cup in 2022, I really enjoyed watching Morocco play, so I want to see them go far in the tournament once again," said Ramon's brother, Erick Escobedo, who was rooting for Morocco.

The Escobedo brothers said they visited Fan Fest on Saturday to watch the game to enjoy the atmosphere and energy of soccer fans from across the globe.

After the excitement of Brazil vs. Morocco, fans stuck around FIFA Fan Fest to watch Haiti vs. Scotland. Then, Capital Cities is scheduled to take the stage to round out the night.

The U.S. plays Australia in Seattle on June 19 before finishing Group D play back at SoFi Stadium on June 25 against Türkiye.

ESPN contributed to this report.