Omar Artan, who was set to be the first Somalian to referee at the World Cup finals, has been dropped from the list of officials after he was denied entry to the United States. Artan, the 2025 Confederation of African Football (CAF) men's referee of the year, was barred from entering the country at Miami International Airport and is currently in Turkey.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed Monday that a Somali national who was planning to referee in the World Cup had been denied entry after arriving to Miami International Airport from Istanbul on Saturday. While the CBP statement didn't mention the person by name, Artan is the only World Cup referee from Somalia. "During processing, the traveler underwent additional inspection, a routine part of CBP's inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility," CBP said in its statement. "Following inspection, the traveler, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry." CBP noted that all travelers seeking entry into the U.S. - including athletes, coaches and staff - are subject to CBP inspection and vetting. "Admissibility determinations are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security, and immigration information available at the time of inspection," the CBP statement said. "CBP officers have the authority to question travelers, conduct inspections, and determine admissibility consistent with U.S. law." Somalia is on the U.S. list of banned countries for immigration, although exceptions can be made.
After speaking to the US authorities, world governing body FIFA said Artan will miss the tournament. "FIFA can confirm that match official Omar 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 of entry to the BBC and said Artan had been travelling with valid documents. A Somali embassy official in Nairobi told the BBC that Artan's diplomatic passport had been issued specifically to ease his travel after earlier visa difficulties. The Somali Football Federation (SFF) has contacted FIFA seeking urgent clarification.
Speaking to BBC World Service, 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 was among the 52 referees announced by FIFA to officiate at the World Cup finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States, which runs from 11 June to 19 July 2026.
Source: ESPN
