Omar Artan, the first Somali referee ever selected for a World Cup finals, was turned away at Miami International Airport this weekend and has been removed from the tournament after US immigration authorities refused him entry despite his valid travel documents.
Artan, who was named the Confederation of African Football (CAF) men’s referee of the year in 2025, had flown from Nairobi to Turkey and then to Miami. He was carrying a diplomatic passport that the Somali embassy in Nairobi had issued specifically to ease his travel after earlier visa difficulties. Yet when he reached US border control, he was barred from entering and sent back. He is now in Istanbul.
“Somali referee Omar Artan barred from US, will miss World Cup despite valid visa.”
No official reason has been given for the denial. Somalia is one of several countries on a travel ban list imposed by the Trump administration, and in December the US government labelled Somalia a ‘high risk’ nation, placing entry limitations on its citizens. Andrew Giuliani, who leads the White House Task Force on the World Cup, said: ‘While I can’t go into the derog [derogatory information] on that I can tell you it was the right decision by customs and border patrol and I support that decision.’
World governing body Fifa confirmed that Artan would not officiate. ‘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 statement read. ‘Fifa is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present.’
The Somali Football Federation (SFF) has contacted Fifa seeking urgent clarification, and the country’s government has reacted with anger. Ciise Aden Abshir, a senior adviser to Somalia’s ministry of youth and sports and a former national team captain, said: ‘Omar Artan is among Africa’s most respected referees and deserves the support of the entire football community. Denying him entry to the United States and preventing him from officiating scheduled matches harms not only him personally but also undermines football’s commitment to fairness, merit, and the spirit of fair play.’
Artan, a Fifa referee since 2018, had officiated at the Africa Cup of Nations and was one of eight referees selected by CAF for the World Cup. The president of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, had described him as ‘a symbol of inspiration for the new generation of Somalis’.
His removal is the latest in a series of entry problems linked to the tournament. Iranian players and officials have faced visa difficulties for months, leading the team to relocate its training base from the US to Mexico; this week Iranian support staff were denied visas at the last minute, a claim disputed by the US state department. Iraq striker Aymen Hussein was held for nearly seven hours at Chicago’s O’Hare airport, and Swiss midfielder Breel Embolo was denied a visa before Swiss authorities successfully appealed.
Who will replace Artan on the officiating roster remains unclear. Fifa has said it is not involved in host-country immigration decisions, and with the tournament opening on 11 June, the US authorities have indicated that Artan’s status will not change.