Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
MOGADISHU/MIAMI – Omar Abdulkadir Artan, the Somali referee who was set to become the first official from his country to officiate at a FIFA World Cup, was denied entry into the United States by immigration authorities and has been dropped from the 2026 tournament. The 34-year-old, who was named the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Men’s Referee of the Year in 2025, arrived at Miami International Airport over the weekend with what officials described as a valid visa and diplomatic passport. Despite FIFA having confirmed last week that his visa situation had been “fully resolved,” US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers turned him away, citing undisclosed “vetting concerns.” He was sent back to Istanbul, Turkey, where he remains. While CBP has not publicly linked the decision to the Trump administration’s travel policies, Somalia is one of several nations on an expanded travel ban list that was reinstated and broadened by President Donald Trump in early 2026. White House World Cup Task Force head Andrew Giuliani defended the move, saying he could not discuss the “derogatory information” but that it was “the right decision.”
FIFA, the world governing body of football, confirmed Artan’s exclusion in a brief statement. “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,” the organisation said. FIFA added that it does not involve itself in host country immigration processes, which are the sole preserve of the host government. The tournament is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. The decision effectively ended a historic appointment that had been celebrated across Somalia and the wider African football community. Artan was one of 52 referees selected for the tournament and had been widely regarded as a rising star on the continent. He became a FIFA-listed referee in 2018 and has officiated at the Africa Cup of Nations and the CAF Champions League, including becoming the first Somali to take charge of a continental final.
The Somali government launched urgent diplomatic efforts to reverse the decision, engaging the US authorities directly and seeking FIFA’s intervention. In a statement on Monday, June 9, Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports confirmed that those efforts had failed. “The extensive efforts undertaken did not succeed in reversing the restriction imposed on the referee,” the ministry said. The statement described Artan as “a clear example of the ability, resilience and hard work of Somali youth” and said his accomplishments were “a source of honour for the Somali people.” Ciise Aden Abshir, a senior adviser to the ministry and a former national team captain, criticised the decision, saying it harmed not only Artan personally but also “football’s commitment to fairness, merit and the spirit of fair play.” Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud had praised Artan just weeks earlier, calling him “a symbol of inspiration for the new generation of Somalis.”
The travel restrictions that appear to have blocked Artan were first imposed during Trump’s initial term, targeting several Muslim-majority countries including Somalia. Those restrictions were lifted by the Biden administration but were reinstated and expanded by Trump shortly after he returned to office in early 2025. In the months leading up to the World Cup, Trump signed successive executive orders further tightening the ban, including a full suspension on entry for nationals of a dozen countries, effective from January 2026. While the administration carved out some exceptions for athletes and officials, Artan was apparently not covered. The president has also made inflammatory remarks about Somali immigrants, calling them “crooks” and describing Somalia as “the worst country in the world.”
Artan’s case is not the only visa controversy to hit the tournament. Iran’s national team was forced to move its base camp from the United States to Tijuana, Mexico, after Washington denied visas to more than a dozen of their support staff amid escalating US-Iranian military tensions. Iran’s players, coaches and staff will only be allowed into the US on matchdays, creating significant logistical challenges. Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei criticised the treatment, saying that before technical matters, “ethical and human considerations must be respected.”
In a brief statement issued through FIFA, Artan thanked the football community for their support. “I would like to thank FIFA and CAF for all their support and I promise to keep my refereeing levels up as I concentrate on the future,” he said. “I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best success during the World Cup and I look forward to joining them again in future competitions.” His words were measured and calm, but they did not hide the scale of the loss. A man who had risen from the Somali national league to stand at the centre of the world’s biggest football tournament now watches from the sidelines, undone not by injury or error, but by a visa stamp at an airport.
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