ISLAMABAD: A prominent African referee will miss this summer’s football World Cup after the United States denied him entry despite his valid travel documents, FIFA confirmed.
Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was set to become the first Somali to officiate at a World Cup final tournament, was turned away at Miami International Airport over the weekend. A US Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told CNN that Artan “was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns.”
The Trump administration’s broad restriction on Somali nationals appeared to have played a role.
“During processing, the traveler underwent additional inspection, a routine part of CBP’s procedures when officers needed to verify information or determine admissibility,” the spokesperson said, as reported by CNN.
Artan said he underwent an 11-hour immigration interview, followed by several hours in detention before being sent back to Istanbul. “I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa,” he told The New York Times.
FIFA said Artan’s “status would not be changed at present” and stated that it did not take part in host-country visa decisions.
“As with previous FIFA events, the host government ultimately determined who received a visa and entry,” the organization said.
Artan was named Africa’s best referee in 2025, according to CNN. A FIFA referee since 2018, he also officiated at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, The Guardian reported. He was scheduled to be one of 170 officials overseeing 104 matches at the tournament.
Somalia protested the decision, according to The Guardian. A senior adviser to Somalia’s ministry of youth and sports said the denial “undermines football’s commitment to fairness, merit, and the spirit of fair play.”
Diplomatic efforts included issuing Artan a special passport to ease travel, according to the BBC.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 will run from June 11 to July 19, co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada.
