US bars first Somali referee to officiate at World Cup finals
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.
No reason for Artan’s 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.
After speaking to the US authorities, world governing body Fifa said Artan 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 of entry and said Artan had been travelling with valid documents.
A Somali embassy official in Nairobi said 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.
An official in the Somali national football league championships, Artan became a Fifa referee in 2018 and has officiated at the Africa Cup of Nations.
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