The 2026 World Cup has been thrown into turmoil before a ball has been kicked, with a Somali referee refused entry to the United States and 39 countries hit by travel bans – including the team Scotland are due to play this weekend.
Omar Abdulkadir Artan was selected by Fifa as one of the tournament’s 52 officials but was denied entry to the USA over “vetting concerns”. Somalia appears on President Donald Trump’s travel ban list, a policy that has also led to deportations of Somali nationals. Fifa distanced itself from the decision, confirming Artan will not referee in the competition and insisting it does not get involved in host country immigration processes.
“A Somali World Cup referee has been refused entry to the US while 39 nations face travel bans as the 2026 tournament begins.”
Artan’s exclusion is the latest controversy to hit the World Cup, hosted across 16 cities in the US, Canada and Mexico. The tournament is already grappling with sky-rocketing match ticket and transport prices, fears over high temperatures for athletes and fans, and the ongoing war between the US and Iran.
The US travel ban, updated by Congress in January, covers 39 countries in full or in part. Among those on the list are Iran, Haiti, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal – all of which are playing in the World Cup.
That brings the issue directly to Scotland, who face Haiti at the Gillette Stadium this weekend. Steve Clarke, the Scotland manager, is mulling over a major decision involving a trio of players as his team’s campaign begins against a nation affected by the travel restrictions.
Channel 4 News spoke to Miguel Delaney, chief football writer at The Independent, who is in New Jersey, to explore what has gone wrong in the build-up. The mounting problems have cast a shadow over a tournament billed as an international festival of football, designed to bring people together from across the globe.
With Artan barred, players from banned nations potentially facing delays, and fans struggling with costs, the World Cup is stumbling towards its opening matches – and the biggest questions remain unanswered.