Omar Artan, named Africa's top referee in 2025, was poised to become the first Somali national to officiate at a FIFA World Cup, but his entry was blocked by US authorities.
A Somali referee who was set to become the first from his nation to officiate a World Cup match has been barred from entering the United States, ending his participation in the football tournament.
Omar Artan was refused entry on Saturday after arriving at Miami International Airport and was instructed to return to Istanbul, where his flight originated. He was recognized as Africa's finest referee in 2025.
United States Customs and Border Protection stated that Artan was denied entry because of "vetting concerns" that rendered him "inadmissible."
Artan said he stayed optimistic despite the situation and was concentrating on his upcoming refereeing assignments.
"I thank FIFA and CAF for their support and will maintain my refereeing standards as I look ahead," he said. "I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best success during the World Cup and I look forward to joining them again in future competitions."
FIFA: Artan unable to officiate at 2026 World Cup
World football's governing body stated it could not affect the US decision and confirmed Artan's removal from the World Cup.
"FIFA can confirm that match official Omar Abdulkadir Artan will be unable to train and officiate at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States," a FIFA spokesperson was quoted by AFP as saying.
Ciise Aden Abshir, a senior adviser at Somalia's Ministry of Youth and Sports, condemned the action, stating it harmed not only Artan but also "football's commitment to fairness, merit, and the spirit of fair play."
Under President Donald Trump, the US administration has enforced travel bans on nationals from several nations as part of its immigration crackdown. Somalia is among the affected countries, though exceptions can be made.
Did national teams face any issues?
Artan's case is not the sole problem encountered by teams and officials traveling to the US for the tournament, which will also be hosted by Mexico and Canada.
Iran's national team was compelled to relocate its base camp from the US to Tijuana, Mexico, after Washington denied visas to more than a dozen delegation members. The decision came amid the joint US-Israeli conflict with Iran.
Iran's players, coaches, and staff will now be permitted into the US only on matchdays, creating travel demands that could impact performance. Iran is scheduled to face New Zealand and Egypt in Los Angeles, with a potential group decider against Belgium in Seattle.
Coach Amir Ghalenoei criticized the treatment of his team.
"Usually in these tournaments, before technical matters, ethical and human considerations must be respected -- which I think for us it was not the case," he said.
Other teams have also encountered difficulties.
Iraq striker Aymen Hussein was interrogated for seven hours after arriving at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. An Iraqi photographer traveling with the team was denied entry.
How has the White House reacted to the visa denials?
The White House's official World Cup taskforce head defended the decision to bar referee Omar Artan from entering the country.
According to Andrew Giuliani, 35 national teams made their way to the US, and all players and coaches were granted entry.
"There have been some officials that have been denied, and for good reason," Giuliani said at an Atlantic Council event in Washington, with the same being true for some officials from Iran's World Cup delegation.
The White House official head said the country is "striking that balance" to ensure that any "bad actors" will not enter the country using the World Cup.
The World Cup, co-hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada, is the largest ever, featuring 48 national teams.
The tournament kicks off on Thursday, with Mexico facing South Africa in Mexico City.
World Cup 2026: Will international fans come to America?
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Edited by: Louis Oelofse
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