He landed at Miami International Airport holding the “right papers” and the “right visa” – and left 11 hours later, handcuffed to a holding cell before being put on a flight back to Istanbul. Omar Artan, the 34-year-old Somali referee who was set to become the first person from his country to officiate at a World Cup finals, has been denied entry to the United States, upending his dream and plunging Fifa’s 2026 tournament into the heart of the second Trump administration’s aggressive border restrictions.
Artan, who was named 2025 men’s referee of the year by the Confederation of African Football (Caf), landed in Miami on Saturday but was refused entrance by US Customs and Border Patrol after an 11-hour immigration interview. He was then taken to a separate holding cell where he was detained for several hours before being repatriated. No reason for the denial has been issued by US authorities, though Somalia is one of several countries on a travel ban list introduced by President Donald Trump’s administration. In December, Trump told reporters he does not want Somali immigrants in the US, telling them to “go back to where they came from”.
“Somali referee Omar Artan denied entry to US for World Cup after 11-hour immigration interview despite valid visa.”
Fifa confirmed that Artan “will be unable to train and officiate” at the tournament but distanced itself from the decision. In a statement, the governing body said: “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 White House Task Force on the World Cup backed the move. Its leader, Andrew Giuliani, told the BBC: “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.”
Artan’s diplomatic passport had been issued specifically to ease his travel after earlier visa difficulties, a Somali embassy official in Nairobi told the BBC. “I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa,” Artan said. “I’m just simply a referee who’s trying to live his dream – the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup.” In a later statement reported by the Miami Herald, Artan added: “Despite the circumstances, I am in a positive mood and I am focused on the next challenges in my refereeing career.”
The incident is not isolated. Iran, whose team plays its games in the US, has been forced to move its training base across the border to Mexico as a result of the same visa restrictions. For successive World Cups, Fifa has managed to bulldoze through immigration requirements – but in 2026, with 52 referees and 88 assistant referees required to stay at a training hub in Miami, the barrier has proved insurmountable for some.
“I think that they have a problem with my country,” Artan said.