Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who had been on course to become the first Somali referee to officiate at a FIFA World Cup 2026 finals, will miss the 2026 tournament after being denied entry into the United States.
Artan, the 2025 CAF Men’s Referee of the Year, was stopped at Miami International Airport and later sent to Turkey. US immigration authorities have not publicly stated the reason for the decision, although Somalia is among the countries affected by travel restrictions introduced under President Donald Trump’s administration.
FIFA confirmed that Artan will not be able to take part in the competition, saying he cannot train or officiate at the World Cup after being refused entry into the US. The governing body added that it does not control host-country immigration matters and had been informed that Artan’s status would not be changed for now.
The decision effectively ends any chance of Artan taking part in the tournament, even in matches scheduled outside the United States. FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina has established a training base in Miami for the World Cup’s 52 referees and 88 assistant referees, and all on-field officials are required to stay there for preparation, training and security arrangements.
That means Artan cannot remain outside the US and work only on games in Canada or Mexico.
A senior adviser to Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports confirmed the development, saying Artan had been travelling with valid documents. A Somali embassy official in Nairobi also said his diplomatic passport had been issued to help ease travel after earlier visa-related difficulties.
In comments carried by Reuters, Artan struck a composed tone despite the setback.
He thanked FIFA and CAF for their support and said he would remain focused on the future. He also expressed gratitude for the messages he had received from across football and wished his fellow officials success at the tournament.
The Somali Football Federation has since contacted FIFA and asked for urgent clarification over the incident.
Andrew Giuliani, who heads the White House Task Force on the World Cup, defended the decision when speaking to BBC World Service. While declining to discuss specific derogatory information, he said customs and border officials had made the right call and that he supported it.
The World Cup is scheduled to run from June 11 to July 19.
Artan has built a strong refereeing profile in recent years. A FIFA-listed referee since 2018, he has officiated in the Africa Cup of Nations and is regarded as one of Somalia’s most prominent football officials.
Former England striker Ian Wright blasted the situation in a video posted on Instagram, describing the event as a “World Cup of chaos”.
He said fresh problems seemed to emerge every few hours, citing cases involving fans, players, officials, journalists and now referees. Wright also criticized soaring ticket prices, expensive accommodation and transport costs, arguing that the tournament was drifting away from the spirit of football.