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Africa’s top referee will not be allowed to officiate at the World Cup after being refused entry to the United States, FIFA has confirmed.
Omar Artan was set to become the first referee from Somalia at the World Cup but was forced to return to Istanbul after being turned away at Miami International Airport.
A FIFA spokesman confirmed that Artan, who was named CAF Referee of the Year in 2025, would miss the tournament, saying: “FIFA can confirm that match official Omar Abdulkadir Artan will not be able to train and officiate at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after being refused entry to the United States.”
“FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudication, and has been informed by the authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at this time.
“In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who enters their country.”
Artan believed he had a valid visa to work in the United States even though Somalia is one of the countries on the US travel ban list.
Explaining their decision, a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Artan underwent “additional inspections” on arrival Saturday as officials sought to determine whether to allow him into the country.
They added: “Upon inspection, the traveller, a FIFA World Cup referee, was determined to be inadmissible due to verification concerns and was refused entry.”
The news of Artan’s denial of entry was met with criticism before FIFA confirmed it.
A representative of the Somali government, Cisse Aden Abshir, adviser to the Ministry of Sports, said AFP: “Omar is one of the most respected referees in Africa and deserves the support of the entire football community.
“To deny him entry and prevent him from performing his duties not only harms him personally but also undermines football’s commitment to fairness, meritocracy and the spirit of fair play.”
