Omar Artan, the first Somali to be selected to referee at a World Cup finals, has been removed from the list of officials after he was denied entry into the United States at Miami International Airport. He is now in Turkey.
No reason for the repatriation has been issued by US immigration authorities, but Somalia is one of several countries on a travel ban list introduced by President Donald Trump’s administration. Artan, the 2025 Confederation of African Football men’s referee of the year, had been issued a diplomatic passport specifically to ease his travel after earlier visa difficulties, a Somali embassy official in Nairobi told the BBC.
“Somali referee Omar Artan dropped from World Cup after being denied entry to US at Miami airport.”
World governing body Fifa confirmed the referee will miss the tournament. “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,” read a statement. “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. In line with previous Fifa events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.”
A senior adviser to Somalia’s ministry of youth and sports confirmed the denial to the BBC and said Artan had been travelling with valid documents. The Somali Football Federation has contacted Fifa seeking urgent clarification.
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.”
Artan, a Fifa referee since 2018 and a veteran of the Africa Cup of Nations, was among the 52 referees announced for the World Cup finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States, which runs from 11 June to 19 July. His removal raises questions about the impact of Trump administration policies on preparations for the global sporting event.