Africa’s top referee will not be allowed to officiate at the World Cup after he was refused entry to the USA, FIFA has confirmed.
Omar Artan was set to become the first referee from Somalia at a World Cup but he was forced to fly back to Istanbul after he was turned back at Miami International Airport.
A FIFA spokesperson confirmed Artan, who was named CAF’s referee of the year in 2025, would miss out on the tournament, saying: “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.
“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.”
Artan believed he had valid visa to work in the US even though Somalia are one of the countries on the US travel ban list.
Explaining their decision, a spokesperson for the the US Customs and Border Protection said Artan had undergone “additional inspection” on arrival on Saturday as officers looked to determine whether to let him into the country.
They added: “Following inspection, the traveller, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry.”
Even before FIFA’s confirmation, news of Artan’s denial of entry had been met with criticism.
A Somali government representative, sports ministry advisor Ciise Aden Abshir, told AFP: “Omar is among Africa’s most respected referees and deserves the support of the entire football community.
“Denying him entry and preventing him officiating harms not only him personally but also undermines football’s commitment to fairness, merit and the spirit of fair play.”
