The Trump administration has blocked a top Somali referee from entering the United States for the World Cup — the latest flashpoint in a presidency that has repeatedly vilified Somalia and its people.
Omar Abdulkadir Artan, named Africa’s referee of the year in 2025, was denied entry despite holding a diplomatic passport and a single-entry US visa. The decision came days before the tournament kicks off, and hours after Donald Trump confirmed he will not attend the US opening match against an unnamed opponent in Los Angeles on Friday.
“Somali World Cup referee Omar Artan denied US entry; Trump won't attend opening match.”
Trump has previously called Somalia a “disgusting” country and its people “garbage”, remarks that have resurfaced as his administration tightens visa restrictions on citizens from several Muslim-majority nations. Artan, a 12-year Fifa veteran, had been due to officiate at the tournament, though his specific match assignment has not been disclosed.
The president’s absence from the opening fixture — Paraguay’s president will be in attendance — underscores the distance between the White House and the global sporting event. The US men’s national team will take the field in front of a home crowd, but without their head of state in the stands.
Meanwhile, Scotland’s first World Cup match — against Haiti at Boston Stadium — will be overseen by an African official with a dozen years of Fifa experience. The referee’s identity has been confirmed by the Scottish Football Association, though his nationality has not been publicly named.
The denial of Artan’s entry has drawn criticism from human rights groups, who point to a pattern of travel bans targeting African countries. The Trump administration has not commented on the specific case, but the move aligns with the president’s long-standing hostility toward Somalia, a country he has called a “failed state” in the past.
As the World Cup begins, the controversy over who gets to enter the United States — and who stays out — has become an unintended subplot, with a referee caught in the middle.